Viewing porn in public.

[anson2995]

@Chronos

This looks pretty toothless, to me…

Well, the Supreme Court upheld it in 2003, and most public libraries have complied. The result is that most libraries now follow the same standard practice. They have filtering software installed on public computers. If a patron wants to view a page that has been blocked, he/she asks a librarian to unblock it, and its up to their discretion as to whether they want to do that or not. Those that object to the practice can opt to forgo public finding, but for the majority of public libraries, that’s not feasible.

This creates all sorts of thorny issues for libraries and librarians, which have played out over the last 8 years all over the country. The American Library Association’s website has a whole section dedicated to the subject, and the blogs and message boards aimed at librarians have covered the nuances of the issue at great length.

That’s what bothers me about the case in Monroe County (fwiw, I live there). County Executive Maggie Brooks seems to have interjected herself with the belief that she was the first person to raise the issue of internet access in libraries. She sought to substitute her own judgment for that of the Supreme Court, and to replace carefully crafted policy with her own mandates based on a sweeps-week news report she saw on local television.

Exapno suggests that this was politically motivated, but Brooks will run for re-election unopposed. Maybe it was about scoring cheap points (because nobody is going to come out in favor of child porn in public libraries), but I suspect it was that oft seen combination of arrogance and ignorance.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@anson2995

Exapno suggests that this was politically motivated, but Brooks will run for re-election unopposed.

That was just announced today. Brooks couldn’t possibly have known that back when the headlines were made.

Practically a dictionary definition-worthy example of wedge issue politics.

[Omega_Glory]

Interesting perspectives. I forgot all about this thread (and the Maggie Brooks story). It hasn’t been in the news in awhile, afaik.

[anson2995]

@Omega Glory

Interesting perspectives. I forgot all about this thread (and the Maggie Brooks story). It hasn’t been in the news in awhile, afaik.

It re-emerged last week when the Library board agreed to modify its policies to conform to the County Executive’s wishes. In as much as some believe that thisconflicts with the Supreme Court’s ruling , I suspect we’ll be hearing more about it soon.

[Savannah]

I don’t know why anyone would even want to view porn in public. If the purpose of porn/erotica is to stimulate one sexually, why would you want to attain such a state in a public area, where there is limited chance of being able to relieve those sexual urges? Without arrest at the most, and causing discomfort to others at the least.

Unless viewing it in public and being aroused in public is part of one’s sexual makeup… I don’t know.

[psychonaut]

@Savannah

I don’t know why anyone would even want to view porn in public.

People researching porn (for the purposes of sociology, censorship, criminology, marketing, etc.) have reasons for viewing it in public besides their own immediate sexual gratification.

[psychonaut]

@anson2995

Libraries are in the difficult position of balancing first amendemnt rights with anti-obscenity laws. Specifically, libraries that receive federal funds are required to comply with CHIPA, the Children’s Internet Protection Act. This says:

“a public library may not receive federal assistance to provide Internet access unless it installs software to block images that constitute obscenity or child pornography, and to prevent minors from obtaining access to material that is harmful to them.”

This seems rather trivial to get around. If I were a librarian, I would install such software but simply not run it.

[plnnr]

I’m the chairman of the board of trustees for our local library system, and we recently enacted an Internate Access Policy that places filters on the computers but requires the filters to be removed if an adult requests it.

We had one patron who was accessing porn and the fondling himself while he sat there (through his clothing). The librarian called the police and the man (who has done this before) was escorted from the premises. I don’t care what consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes (as long as no children are involved), but a public library is no place to masturbate.

[chowder]

@copperwindow

Okay, what about phone sex? Can I have hot, explicit phone sex on my cell phone on a bus?

If you have your wang in your hand and a tube of KY I imagine some people may be a tad concerned about your next step

[anson2995]

@psychonaut

This seems rather trivial to get around. If I were a librarian, I would install such software but simply not run it.

That’s why the legislators crafted a law that consisted of more than just the one sentence I quoted. If it were that simple, it would not have spawned a legal case that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

To avoid any further confusion, here’s a more detailed explanation of what CIPA requires,from the FCC website :

* Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-Rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy and technology protection measures in place. An Internet safety policy must include technology protection measures to block or filter Internet access to pictures that: (a) are obscene, (b) are child pornography, or (c) are harmful to minors, for computers that are accessed by minors.
* Schools subject to CIPA are required to adopt and enforce a policy to monitor online activities of minors; and
* Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement a policy addressing: (a) access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet; (b) the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; (c) unauthorized access, including so-called “hacking,” and other unlawful activities by minors online; (d) unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and (e) restricting minors’ access to materials harmful to them. 

Schools and libraries are required to certify that they have their safety policies and technology in place before receiving E-rate funding.

* CIPA does not affect E-rate funding for schools and libraries receiving discounts only for telecommunications, such as telephone service.
* An authorized person may disable the blocking or filtering measure during any use by an adult to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
* CIPA does not require the tracking of Internet use by minors or adults. 

[Otto]

@plnnr

a public library is no place to masturbate.

That should be translated into Latin and posted in every library.

[Justin_Bailey]

@anson2995

It re-emerged last week when the Library board agreed to modify its policies to conform to the County Executive’s wishes. In as much as some believe that thisconflicts with the Supreme Court’s ruling , I suspect we’ll be hearing more about it soon.

I suspect the issue is dead in the water. All the Central Library did was change their Internet policy to something that mirrors what the town libraries have been doing for years.

Maggie Brooks can complain about the situation some more all she wants (in a nut shell, she wants to write the library’s Internet policy and mandate it countywide), but no one’s going to care any more as the problem has already been solved.

[Savannah]

@psychonaut

People researching porn (for the purposes of sociology, censorship, criminology, marketing, etc.) have reasons for viewing it in public besides their own immediate sexual gratification.

Didn’t think of that, to be honest.

I, uh, research in the privacy of my own home. I never got around to analysing. Just researching.

[DesertDog]

@Otto

That should be translated into Latin and posted in every library.

Too much Latin in it already:

A publicus library est haud locus ut masturbate

Per Intertran

[DanBlather]

@Guinastasia

Shouldn’t he also have been charged with reckless driving?

He didn’t actually crash, he just watched someone get rear-ended

[chowder]

@DanBlather

He didn’t actually crash, he just watched someone get rear-ended

Bent his tailpipe then?

[MsRobyn]

@psychonaut

People researching porn (for the purposes of sociology, censorship, criminology, marketing, etc.) have reasons for viewing it in public besides their own immediate sexual gratification.

Yeah, but presumably, they do it under controlled circumstances, not at the county library.

When I was in charge of my department’s computer labs, I had to train the undergraduate student workers to be on the lookout for people looking at porn. It has happened in other labs, much to the dismay of those lab attendants.

Robin