At what point does filtering turn into censorship?

Internet censorship via the filtering of library computer terminals became a top intellectual freedom
priority in 2012, spurred by some public libraries decisions to impose complete, mandatory filtering on
library users and by growing evidence that overzealous internet filtering is harming the learning
process for both children and young adults.
Lawsuits filed by students and library users drew attention to the flaws of filters, which they said
sometimes block constitutionally protected content based on political or religious viewpoints. The
allegations included that many filters block access to websites favoring civil rights and support for the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LBGT) community, while allowing full access to sites that
oppose homosexuality. Other censored areas included search engines, social media, websites about
alternative religions, and even websites about vegetarianism, according to the ALAs Office for
Intellectual Freedom (OIF).
Conversations with both vendors and librarians who are required to use filters made it clear that this
type of internet censorship is not always intentional, the OIF says. Library staff may not always know
how to set up or manage the filtering software or may misinterpret the requirements imposed by laws
like the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
The fact remains, however, that internet censorship, whether intended or accidental, violates users
fundamental right to intellectual freedom as set forth in the Library Bill of Rights.
Acutely aware that libraries are often operating under CIPA-imposed mandates and knowing that
most librarians and trustees want to provide optimal access to information, the OIF is developing
materials that emphasize First Amendmentfriendly filtering, which recognizes and supports the
ideal of open access to constitutionally protected information while complying with legislative
mandates to filter library users internet access. These include webinars, publications, and workshops
for librarians and trustees.
In 2012, the OIF and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee published a major revision to its
Libraries and the Internet Toolkit that provides both legal and practical information on developing
internet use policies that preserve users access to constitutionally protected information. The OIF
also presented workshops on First Amendmentfriendly filtering at meetings held by the Missouri and
Iowa Library Associations.
Mixed results on access to GLBT content
As Americans prepared for and participated in November 2012 elections, issues related to gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) rights were the subject of much media and public
discourse, including extensive debates over gay marriage. In this heated political context, GLBT
content in libraries came under fire across the country.
In May, a school-district committee in Davis County, Utah, voted to restrict access to Patricia
Polaccos In Our Mothers House. Acting in response to fears that the book might violate a state law
against advocating homosexuality, the district moved first to restrict the book to older elementary-
school students and later to only those students with written parental permission. In response, the
American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in November 2012 alleging violation of students First
Amendment rights. As of January 14, 2013, district officials had reinstated In Our Mothers House to
school-library shelves, noting that the cited Utah law applied only to curriculum materials and not to
recreational reading. The book was purchased to foster understanding and inclusion in a school
where one student lived with two mothers.
In June, The Family Book, by Todd Parr, was removed from a curriculum on diversity, tolerance, and
bullying in Erie, Ill. Objections centered on its content, specifically a page stating that some families
have two moms or two dads.
A notable success for access to GLBT content came in the fall, after Sarah Brannens picture book,
Uncle Bobbys Wedding, was challenged at a public library in Brentwood, Mo. The librarys decision
to retain the book was appealed to the library board by several individuals, drawing significant public
attention and generating overwhelming support for the library and the book in question.
Big Data means more informationand more
threats to privacy
2012, the year of Big Data, saw frequent news reports about the collection, use, and misuse of
individuals private and personal information. Civil liberties organizations, including the ALA, came
together as the Digital Due Process coalition, working to reform the USA PATRIOT Act and other laws
that address government surveillance and wiretapping. Individuals, legislators, and opinion leaders all
advanced proposals to place sensible restrictions on data mining, identity theft, and unconstitutional
government surveillance.
In this context, the OIFs ongoing privacy initiative sought to provide both librarians and the general
public with the information and tools needed to understand and address the threats posed to privacy
rights and civil liberties by corporate and government surveillance.
Choose Privacy Week, the keystone of the OIF privacy initiative, adopted the theme Freedom from
Surveillance for its 2012 campaign. Its goal was to help libraries create community awareness about
the pervasive use of monitoring and tracking tools by government agencies and corporations alike to
collect, store, and use individuals personal data and identifying information for the purpose of
surveillance and law enforcement. The theme was inspired by news reports about ongoing national
law enforcement surveillance and security initiatives that curtail individual privacy rights, particularly in
the immigrant community.
The highlight of the week was the premiere of a new online documentary, Vanishing Liberties: The
Rise of State Surveillance in the Digital Age, which featured experts discussing the governments
growing use and abuse of surveillance tools to track and spy on immigrant communities, and plans by
some agencies to adopt these same tools to monitor and track the activities of all Americans.
Webinars and blog posts expanded upon specific topics related to privacy rights and government
surveillance, and the OIF visited three library systems to learn how libraries can best do outreach and
education on privacy issues for immigrants new to the United States. These included a branch library
in the Lexington (Ky.) Public Library System; a branch in the Queens (N.Y.) Library System; and a
suburban Chicago library, the Orland Park Public Library.
Librarians, journalists, and high-schoolers become
news fact-checkers
The OIF completed its first year of the News Know-how program, funded by the Open Society
Foundations. Its mission was to create coalitions of librarians, journalists, and high school students to
become news fact-checkers, who went on to play an important role in the 2012 presidential
campaign. The Iowa Library Services in the State Library of Iowa supported 10 rural libraries with their
programming. Some students fact-checked both presidential campaigns and reported their findings to
Rotary Clubs, schools, and community meetings, and Iowa librarians created two webinars on news
literacy for other librarians to incorporate into their information literacy programming. The journalist
trainers and curriculum are from the News Literacy Project in Bethesda, Md. The student projects can
be found on the project website.