This discussion has prompted me to bring to everyone's attention the
Pornography on the Internet: A New Reality program (no. B-7) scheduled for
Sunday, July 15th at 1:15PM. The program was designed to discuss these
issues and we have speakers from both ALA and the Minneapolis Public Library
System. Below is the program description along with a list of speakers.
Please join us for this timely and controversial discussion.
Description:
Access to pornography on the Internet has prompted a complicated
national debate involving first amendment rights and censorship. How can
librarians avoid offending some patrons without censoring information access
to others? Should librarians be moving toward increasing the privacy of
patrons rather than limiting access to information? Are there practical
steps that can be taken to accommodate both sides of this national
controversy? The speakers will discuss the theoretical and practical issues
involved with limiting access to information in a public library.
Discussion will include specific policies that already exist in libraries
and offer practical examples of the steps that public law librarians are
taking to deal with the viewing of pornographic Internet sites at public
access terminals.
Speakers:
Alison Alifano, Coordinator
Associate Director of Library Services
Sullivan & Cromwell
E-mail: alifanoa@sullcrom.com
George Jackson, Moderator
Reference/Documents Librarian
University of Minnesota Law Library
E-mail: g-jack@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Helen Burke, Speaker
Past-President of the Professional Librarians Union of Minneapolis and
Government Documents Coordinator
Minneapolis Public Library E-mail: hburke@mpls.lib.mn.us
Charlene Cain, Speaker
Associate Librarian Government Documents
Louisiana State University
E-mail: llcain@lsu.edu
Judith Krug, Speaker
Director, Office of Intellectual Freedom
American Library Association
E-mail: jkrug@ala.org
Regards and see you in Minneapolis,
Alison
Alison Alifano
Associate Director of Library Services
Sullivan & Cromwell
125 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004-2498
Phone: (212) 558-4896
Fax: (212) 558-3978
E-mail: alifanoa@sullcrom.com
www.sullcrom.com
-----Original Message-----
From: PMeyer@aicpa.org [mailto:PMeyer@aicpa.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 3:06 PM
To: ralemire@bingham.com
Cc: karenpdo@gate.net; law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Seeking EEOC Finding Regarding Librarians
Roger, I agree with you wholeheartedly. ALA's position is so dogmatic and
rigid, that they do not see that there could ever be an exception.
Certainly, people need to be able to search MiddleSEX County, New Jersey,
and BREAST Cancer, and dozens of other things that some filter block,
because the blocking rules built into them are so rigid. The need for
information is certainly a reason to limit the filters, but child
pornography, bestiality, sadism and such are reasons to look at sensible
ways to limit information available in the library. This should be a
selection decision, not a censorship decision, just as libraries do not
purchase every title published, so they do not need to allow access to
every web site out there.
This is one of those situations where working in a professional association
library is actually freeing. We do not have filters, but our computers are
understood to be available for business research, not casual browsing.
Therein lies the difference.
Pat Meyer
Reference Librarian
AICPA Knowledge Center
ralemire@bingha
m.com To: karenpdo@gate.net, law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Sent by: cc:
owner-law-lib@u Subject: RE: Seeking EEOC Finding Regarding
cdavis.edu Librarians
06/19/01 02:49
PM
Ever since my days in Library school I've wondered if the ALA should adjust
their position given some of the extreme situations this allows to occur.
The logic of the ALA's position fails to consider the broader society as a
whole for the sake of an untenable ideal.
(This is my own opinion.)
Roger Lemire
Reference Librarian
-----Original Message-----
From: Karen Mahnk, Research Librarian [mailto:karenpdo@gate.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 2:34 PM
To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Re: Seeking EEOC Finding Regarding Librarians
FYI - The ALA takes a very strong stand against filtering of any kind.
(not nec. my opin.)
Karen Mahnk
At 02:06 PM 6/19/2001 -0400, PMeyer@aicpa.org wrote:
>
>Who are you ashamed of Stanley? The patrons who feel the library
computers
>are there for their sexual enjoyment and need not be shared with others,
>and also feel they have the right to expose others to anything their
sexual
>proclivities dictate! The library administration who refuse to remedy the
>problem. The librarians who are forced to deal with the problems this
>behavior causes for other patrons.
>
>I'm still not sure that filtering is the answer, but persons who abuse the
>privilege of Internet use, must be dealt with, and the administration
needs
>to remember that my freedom extends only as far as your rights. The
>rights of the general public, which includes children, and the staff,
which
>may include impressionable teenagers, must both be protected from the
>unfettered freedom of those who would abuse it.
>
>Pat Meyer
>Reference Librarian
>AICPA Knowledge Center
>
>
>
>
> sconrad@pillsburywi
> nthrop.com To:
ElDocken@rookspitts.com
> Sent by: cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
> owner-law-lib@ucdav Subject: Re: Seeking
EEOC Finding Regarding
> is.edu Librarians
>
>
> 06/19/01 12:09 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Am I the only Librarian in the country who's ashamed of what they're doing
>???
>
>Stanley R. Conrad, MLS/JD
>Head of Reference
>Pillsbury Winthrop LLP
>212-858-1679
>212-858-1500 (fax)
>
>==========================================================<
>
>
>
>
> "Elaine
> Dockens" To: jreinke@law.miami.edu,
> <ElDocken@rooks law-lib@ucdavis.edu
> pitts.com> cc:
> Sent by: Subject: Re: Seeking EEOC
>Finding Regarding
> owner-law-lib@u Librarians
> cdavis.edu
>
>
> 06/19/01 11:24
> AM
>
>
>
>
>
>The EEOC decision may be found at the following url
>http://www.techlawjournal.com/internet/20010523eeocdet.asp
>
>If anyone is interested in showing support for the courageous Minneapolis
>Public Librarians, please let me know. Looking for ideas and a way to
>thank our brave colleagues in the public library arena.
>
>Elaine B. Dockens
>Director of Library Services
>Rooks, Pitts and Poust
>10 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2300
>Chicago, Illinois 60606-7407
>
>ph: 312-627-2535
>fax: 312-876-1155
>email:edockens@rookspitts.com
>
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>>>> Janet Reinke <jreinke@law.miami.edu> 06/14/01 04:16PM >>>
>Dear Colleagues:
>
>The EEOC determined that 12 Minneapolis public librarians were subjected
>to a sexually hostile work environment when they were exposed to
>pornography on the Internet. We have a professor here who is trying to
>obtain the actual decision. Some other facts: The finding was made on
>May 23, 2001, by Bobbie J. Carter.
>
>Do you know how to obtain this decision? I've tried Lexis/Westlaw, the
>Internet, called the EEOC and called the lawyer who represented the
>librarians. I also called BNA Plus.
>
>Thanks for any help you can give!
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Janet Reinke
>University of Miami Law School Library
>1311 Miller Dr.
>Coral Gables, FL 33146
>(305)284-4264
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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