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Rhode Island Libraries Ease Internet RestrictionsRhode Island’s public libraries have revised their internet filter settings in response to a report by the state’s American Civil Liberties Union affiliate that found some libraries discouraged or barred access to constitutionally protected material.Kathryn Taylor, president of the statewide consortium Cooperating Libraries Automated Network, said in a recent letter to the ACLU that CLAN had acted quickly to fix the problems identified in its report: The “nudity” category—which had blocked access to a range of medical and other information—was dropped from the software’s minimum setting, and adult patrons now receive a message instructing them to ask a librarian if they want a site unblocked. “We are pleased that the state’s public libraries have taken a positive step toward ensuring that library patrons have the freest possible access to the internet,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island ACLU, in an October 7 press release. However, the ACLU also noted that the full extent of overblocking in the state remained unclear, since its most recent survey showed four libraries still block more than CLAN recommends, and 18 libraries did not respond to the survey. Posted October 14, 2005. |
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