[IP] Filtering by public libraries increases to 65%
Title: Filtering by public libraries increases to 65%
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Burt,David" <david_burt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 11:14:46 -0600
To: <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Filtering by public libraries increases to 65%
The first survey numbers for public library compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) were just published in Library Journal’s Annual Budget Report, which surveyed 424 public libraries. Unfortunately, this isn’t available on-line yet, but I got it through Lexis/Nexis. Here is the relevant excerpt:
“As for the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which ties receipt of E-rate discounts to filtering the Internet, 59.5% of respondents said they complied. A slightly larger percentage (65%) said they filter at least some Internet terminals. It was predicted that smaller libraries might not choose to comply with CIPA, given the limited savings; also, it is believed people in smaller, close-knit communities are less likely to flout rules of acceptable Internet usage. Indeed, only 44% of the smallest libraries (serving fewer than 10,000 people) filter any terminals, while more than three-quarters of libraries serving more than 100,000 people filter. Of those responding, 62% apply for E-rate discounts. Some 85% of libraries serving more than 500,000 people apply for discounts.”
Budget Report 2005, Library Journal, January 15, 2005
Here’s how this stacks up to earlier surveys:
Year Libraries filtering Source
1998 14% National Commission on Library and Information Science
2000 24% National Commission on Library and Information Science
2002 43% Library Journal
2004 65% Library Journal
CIPA went into effect for public libraries in July, 2003. So you can see this resulted in a big jump from 43% to 65%. What’s also interesting here is that 59.5% say they “comply with CIPA” which should mean that 59.5% of public libraries are now filtering for ALL patrons, including staff as is required by CIPA.
What this data doesn’t say is how CIPA is being implemented in practices. When the Supreme Court upheld CIPA in ALA v. U.S. (see http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/02-361.pdf) there were 5 separate opinions, including Justice Kennedy’s concurrence that suggested libraries should disable (or unblock filtered material) for adults. However, neither the Supreme Court nor the FCC (which is charged with implementing CIPA) specifically directed libraries to have such disabling policies.
It is unclear how many libraries allow adult disabling of filters, though two recent press accounts documented how some public libraries were going different ways. The Phoenix Public Library recently rescinded a disabling policy after patrons were having the filters disabled to access child pornography (see http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0106wvglenlibrary06.html ), while the New York Public Library complies with CIPA and allows adult disabling, and does not prevent patrons from accessing pornography (see http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2209&ncid=742&e=16&u=/ucethic/20050103/cm_ucethic/pornatthelibrary <http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2209&ncid=742&e=16&u=/ucethic/20050103/cm_ucethic/pornatthelibrary> )
David Burt
Public Relations Manager
Secure Computing®
Securing connections between people, applications, and networks™
www.securecomputing.com <http://www.securecomputing.com/>
NASDAQ: SCUR
1-206-892-1130 (Direct Phone)
1-800-971-2622 (Main Phone)
1-206-683-9508 (Mobile Phone)
1-206-834-1788 (Fax)
David_Burt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Secure Computing Corporation, Seattle Office
900 Fourth Avenue, Suite 3600
Seattle, WA 98164
USA
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