Special Issue Clippings 6.23.09 – State court to hear NCRL Internet filter lawsuit

State court to hear NCRL Internet filter lawsuit

The Washington State Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday over whether an Internet filter at the North Central Regional Library System violates freedom of speech rights.

“Several libraries are really looking at it closely and holding their breath,” NCRL Director Dean Marney said. “The state librarian is going to be there. How many times does a library get to the Supreme Court level?”

At issue is whether libraries should offer a way to turn off Internet filters for adults who request it. ….CIPA requires that three categories of Web sites be blocked: Visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography and images “harmful to minors.” (Wenatchee World, 6.22.09) http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090622/NEWS04/706229974

Can public libraries filter what patrons want to read on Internet?

The posting contains an e-mail news release from the American Civil Liberties Union Washington and alerts readers to the issue which came before the Washington State Supreme Court on June 23^rd. ( The News Tribune [Tacoma], 6.22.09) Can public libraries filter what patrons want to read on Internet?

Washington Supreme Court hears case on Internet filters

The state Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether public libraries can refuse to disable their Internet filters for adults who want access to content that has been blocked.

“What the library does when it filters out selective pages from the Internet is the equivalent of acquiring the Encyclopedia Britannica and then ripping pages out of it,” attorney Duncan Manville, representing the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, told the high court

Chief Justice Gerry Alexander asked if a library’s decision to restrict access to a Web site is any different than its ability to decide what to put on its shelves.

“What we’re restricting are not individual sites,” library district attorney Thomas Adams said. “We’re making content-based decisions about categories of sites.”

There is no timeframe on when the court may rule. (Seattle P-I, 6.22.09) Wash. Supreme Court hears case on Internet filters

Unfiltered internet access

Should public libraries be required to provide unfiltered Internet access to adults who request it? That’s the question the Washington Supreme Court is grappling with. (KPLU, 6.23.09) http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1521489/KPLU.Local.News/Is.Library.Internet.Access.a.Free.Speech.Issue

[This summary of library news was created by Bobbie DeMiero and Leanna Hammond of the Washington State Library Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.  It represents a selection of newspaper clippings about Washington libraries from all Washington newspapers received in the packets on the dates shown. For more information about any of these stories, contact Carolyn Petersen at 360.570.5560 or [email protected] ]