Libraries and the Internet Toolkit
Helpful Resources
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom: The Office for Intellectual Freedom provides a wealth of information regarding intellectual freedom and censorship, sample library policies, the Library Bill of Rights and its Interpretations, intellectual freedom statements and more. Excellent resource for librarians dealing with Internet access issues. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 4223. Fax: 312-280-4227. E-mail: oif@ala.org
Children and the Internet: Policies that Work: Update of "Children and the Internet: Guidelines for Developing Public Library Policy" by the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates, the Association for Library Service to Children, and the Public Library Association, divisions of the ALA, 1998. New edition considers filtering software and legislation.
Coping with Challenges: Strategies and Tips for All Types of Libraries: ALA, 1999, second edition. Tips and resources for developing and administering intellectual freedom policies, and communicating them to the public. Free. Contact: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 4223. Fax: 312-280-4227. E-mail: oif@ala.org.
Filters and Filtering: The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom offers links from its Web site to Internet use policies, court cases, pending legislation, intellectual freedom statements and more.
Final Report of the COPA Commission Presented to Congress, October 20, 2000: "After consideration of the information gathered through hearings and comments filed by a wide range of parties, the Commission concludes that no single technology or method will effectively protect children from harmful material online. Rather, the Commission determined that a combination of public education, consumer empowerment technologies and methods, increased enforcement of existing laws, and industry action are needed to address this concern."
Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy: The Office for Intellectual Freedom wrote these guidelines to assist libraries in writing an Internet use policy.
Guidelines for Developing a Library Privacy Policy: Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association. The right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information about users and keeps that information private on their behalf.
Intellectual Freedom for Children: The Censor is Coming: Association for Library Service to Children, 2000. This packet includes tips on how to deal with challenges and how to develop selection policies. It also includes a chapter on filtering and the Internet. $28; members $25.20. To order, call 800-545-2433, press 7.
Internet Filtering Software Wrongly Blocks Many Sites: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Online Policy Group (OPG) released a report in December 2002 that examines the effects of filtering software in schools. They found that schools that implement Internet blocking software with the least restrictive settings will block tens of thousands of web pages inappropriately. Schools that implement Internet blocking software with the least restrictive settings will block between 1/2 percent and 5 percent of search results based on state-mandated curriculum topics. Schools that implement Internet blocking software with the most restrictive settings will block up to seventy percent of search results based on state-mandated curriculum topics.
Internet Filters and Public Libraries: David Sobel , general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), examines the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2003 ruling in U.S. v. American Library Association, which declared the Children's Internet Protection Act constitutional. CIPA mandates that libraries accepting federal funds install filtering software to block access to material that is "obscene," "child pornography" or "harmful to minors." The Court assumed that librarians would automatically and unconditionally disable filters upon request by adult patrons and permanently unblock erroneously blocked sites. This assumption puts the burden of ensuring access to constitutionally protected speech upon librarians through a process that is complex and uncertain at best. Furthermore, the Court failed to confront the privacy implications and practical difficulties of such a disabling scheme.
Lester Asheim in Cyberspace: A Tribute to Sound Reasoning: For over 50 years, "Not Censorship But Selection" (Wilson Library Bulletin, Sept. 1953) by Lester Asheim (1914–1997) has remained the definitive statement on the distinction between these two aspects of library collection development. This article relates Asheim's statement to the Internet.
Training programs on how to be an effective spokesperson on library issues including children's access to the Internet. Little to no cost for local and state library groups of 25 or more. Contact: ALA Public Information Office. Telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 5041/5044. Fax: 312-280-8520. E-mail: advocacy@ala.org.
The Nine Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning: These standards, which anyone can use, outline the process for becoming information literate, defined as being able to access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically and competently, and use information accurately and creatively.
Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights: Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association. This Interpretation was adopted by the ALA Council on June 19, 2002. See also Questions and Answers on Privacy and Confidentiality below.
Privacy and Confidentiality: Includes links to ALA's privacy policies and other resources on privacy and confidentiality.
Privacy Policies and Statements: The American Library Association has developed policies, guidelines, and resources to assist librarians in preserving privacy and confidentiality for library users.
Privacy Resources for Librarians, Library Users, and Families: This resource is intended to help librarians and all library users understand the issue of privacy and confidentiality.
Privacy Tool Kit: The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee is developing a Privacy Tool Kit to assist libraries in protecting the privacy of their users.
Questions and Answers on Privacy and Confidentiality: The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee developed this Q&A to work in conjunction with Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. See also Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights above.
Sites Blocked by Internet Filtering Programs: Edelman Expert Report for Multnomah County Public Library, et al. vs. United States of America, et al.: Ben Edelman designed and implemented ways to identify Web sites blocked by four filtering programs.
See No Evil: How Internet Filters Affect the Search for Online Health Information: A report published in December 2002 by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Why Filters Won't Protect Children or Adults: By Nancy Kranich. First published in Library Administration & Management, volume 18, number 1, Winter 2004, pp. 14-18.
Youth, Pornography, and the Internet: A report published in May 2002 by the National Research Council.
