Under an agreement reached by attorneys May 15, libraries will have until July 2002 to make a final decision whether to comply with the Internet-filtering requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act. The agreement came during a status conference on the lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia by the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the legislation.
ALA Washington Office Executive Director Emily Sheketoff explained that the agreement means that libraries can receive e-rate funds in year four of the program without complying; they need only indicate that they were evaluating their options. However, in June 2001 they must begin to take steps—however minimal—toward compliance for year five. By October 28, they must state that they have taken steps to evaluate their year-five certification options.
Sheketoff said ALA sought the clarification to allay the discomfort some librarians felt about certifying for year four even if they had no intention of installing filters if the law is eventually upheld in the courts. A letter from ALA’s attorneys in the case setting forth the certification requirement has been posted on the Association’s CIPA Web site.
The three-judge panel assigned to the case also announced that the ALA and ACLU lawsuits would be combined.
Posted May 21, 2001.