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Ottawa Board’s Decision to Reject Filters Draws CriticismThe Ottawa Public Library board rejected a proposal April 14 that would have put filters on all library computers, a decision that immediately drew criticism from city council members who accused the board of lacking the “moral fiber” to reflect the public's wishes, the Ottawa Citizen reported April 17. The board voted 7–4 to maintain its current policy of putting filters only on computers designated for children. Supporters of the motion said the public backed filters and called the proposal a good compromise, arguing it would have better protected children from pornography while adults would have been allowed to turn off the filters after entering their library card number. “Libraries belong to the public,” said board chair Rick Chiarelli, the CBC reported April 15. “They don’t belong to the members sitting around the table. If the public tells us they want a certain kind of library, I think it’s our responsibility to try to provide that.” City councilors upset by the decision said they will introduce a motion asking the board to limit access until the public has been consulted and another vote taken. Posted April 21, 2003. |
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