CIPA legal FAQ now available online

Contact: Larra Clark, Press Officer

312-280-5043

For Immediate Release

July 10, 2003

CIPA legal FAQ now available online; more scheduled

The American Library Association (ALA) has added a new document to its CIPA home page,

www.ala.org/cipa
, which provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions in the wake of the June 23 Supreme Court decision upholding the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). The ALA has collected, and continues to solicit, questions from the library community regarding the CIPA decision and is seeking appropriate legal counsel in responding.

Among the questions included are:

When must a library disable or turn-off the filter?
Does a library that does not receive e-rate discounts or LSTA grants have an obligation to disable filters?
Can libraries receive federal assistance to purchase filtering software?
Must libraries certify compliance with CIPA this year?

New frequently asked question (FAQ) documents on the regulatory and technology aspects of CIPA will be developed and added to the CIPA home page in coming months. The ALA also plans to develop fact sheets and other documents outlining CIPA’s impacts in libraries nationwide and encourages librarians to share their experiences and best practices as they are developed.

For the latest CIPA information and resources, or to post questions, please visit