Should Cities Regulate Library Internet Use?

The city of San Jose decides against adding filters to public library computers to block websites with pornography.

1 minute read

April 25, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Larry Schooler


After a lively debate that lasted hours, the council voted 7-3 to approve a proposal by the vice mayor and two councilmen that would remind computer users of existing policies to be courteous to others. Mayor Chuck Reed and council members Pete Constant, who led the push for the filters, and Pierluigi Oliverio were opposed, favoring filters in children's areas.

"There are a lot of different ways to protect our children," said Councilman Sam Liccardo who sponsored the approved proposal along with Vice Mayor Judy Chirco and Councilman Ash Kalra. The proposal argued the city should first find more money to expand library hours, school crossing guards and sex-crime detectives. Liccardo compared filtering to "fighting a global naval strategy by deploying all our ships to Lake Tahoe."

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 in San Jose Mercury News

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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