Overview

There is a Federal requirement for Internet filtering (CIPA: Children’s Internet Protection Act) in libraries that receive funding through the eRate program.

“Should this Library implement a policy of restricting the usage of these PC’s to persons ages 18 and over?“

The decision of whether to implement restrictions for patrons 18 and older is up to a library and its Board of Trustees.  It should not be taken lightly. Consider giving patrons an opportunity to share their thoughts; this could be as simple as listing it on the agenda for your next Board meeting and giving the public an opportunity to speak to the issue.  The American Library Association has a stance against filtering.  It has filed lawsuits (unsuccessfully) to override the Federal requirement for filtering (CIPA: Children’s Internet Protection Act) in libraries that receive funding through the eRate program and deems filtering of the constitutionally protected information as unconstitutional.

Libraries that do not receive eRate funding are not subject to CIPA and therefore not required to filter.  However, it is worth noting that ALA does recognize that libraries that are required to do so exist and therefore provides the following guideline: “ALA urges libraries that choose to install filters to set their filters at the least restrictive level in order to minimize the blocking of Constitutionally protected speech.”

Both the previous quote and the following are excerpts from the ALA’s position on filtering:

  • ALA does not recommend the use in libraries of filtering technology that blocks constitutionally protected information.
  • ALA strongly encourages local libraries to adopt and implement Internet use policies that protect public access to information and promote a positive online experience.
  • ALA upholds the right and responsibility of parents to guide their children’s library use, including their Internet use. ALA encourages parents to learn about this important resource so they can guide their children and encourages local libraries to offer instruction for children and adults in how to use the Internet safely and effectively.
  • Paraphrasing: Adult users should not have to explain why they are requesting a filter to be disabled.

Filtering Options

There are an endless number of filtering products, but they can be “filtered” into three main categories:

Local Network-Based Content Filtering

These types of solutions are generally deployed in medium- to large-scale implementations and apply to every or most machines in the environment, for example, Yonkers Public Library. These solutions are expensive and only economical on a large scale where they reach hundreds of PCs.  They also require a high degree of technical skill to administer, which would further increase the cost.

Stand-alone Software-based Filtering

This is often the best solution for many small- to medium-size libraries, such as Mount Kisco Public Library.  These solutions install an agent on the PC that can be individually configured based on the Library Board’s decision regarding policy.  They can also be password protected and individually disabled.  This is a nice feature if your normal policy is so restrictive that while not impacting a normal user, blocks sites for someone engaged in legitimate research and needs to get around the filter. A recommended option is K9 Web Protection (http://www1.k9webprotection.com/). It is a free download and WLS has permission from the makers of the software for use throughout WLS member libraries without any fees.  It can be installed and administered with general PC administrative knowledge.

Cloud-based Filtering

Cloud-based filters generally use DNS records to allow permitted sites to resolve and denied sites to redirect to a page explaining that the filter did its job.  Some services allow you to customize this page and provide instructions for speaking to staff to override the filter for legitimate research, etc.  It is more robust than K9, but it is not free. Functionally, it is a superior choice because it is centrally-managed and therefore less time consuming to administer.  It also does not place any processing overhead on the PC and is less prone to tampering from a patron trying to circumvent it.  The best-in-class of these services is Umbrella (https://umbrella.cisco.com/use-cases/web-filtering).  It was developed by OpenDNS which has since been acquired by Cisco.  Based on pricing from their website, a library can protect three PCs for less than $150 per year.  A moderate degree of technical knowledge will be required to setup this product.