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ACLU knocks Brooks on library porn stance

The American Civil Liberties Union knocked Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks today over her call to tighten restrictions on Internet use at the Central Library of Rochester, saying Brooks’ actions may infringe on people’s First Amendment rights.

Brooks on Wednesday threatened to yank about $7.5 million in aid to the downtown library after it was revealed that the library’s policy lets adult patrons view blocked Web sites that could be inappropriate or pornographic.

Scott Forsyth, local counsel for ACLU, said today that Brooks shouldn’t try to arbitrate what information the public at the library should be able to see.

“It’s all about access to materials in a broad sense at the library,” Forsyth said. “What real significant difference is there between denying an adult patron access to these sites and denying patrons access to Catcher in the Rye?”

Forsyth also criticized the library for “knuckling under” to Brooks because the library Wednesday put a temporary moratorium on unblocking Web sites that may contain graphic information.

Forsyth said the ACLU may consider suing the library if it doesn’t allow adults to get Web sites unblocked.

The library, trying to follow federal law, has policies that block access to Web sites that are deemed inappropriate. Yet the block can be removed by librarians at the request of adults — a procedure deemed appropriate by the Supreme Court in 2003.

Brooks, after a television report showed people viewing porn at the library, said the policy is unacceptable and threatened to cut funding.

The library board of trustees held an impromptu meeting Wednesday night to discuss how to handle the situation. No decision was made because there was not enough members for a quorum, said George Wolf, who heads the board for the Monroe County Library System.

Next they will want the computers put in their own little rooms so no one can watch them.  That is the real scary part is that usually these computers are out in the open or where anyone watching can see what is on the screen.

I think that it is scary period. Libraries should be strictly for education that is beneficial to society not education that helps to denigrate it.

I see that I am not the only one that comes here in the middle of the night.   ;) :D

:D
Nah if I am up (and often I am) I try and drop by to see if anything new was up...specially over the weekend or when I am on call, which I will be this next week

:)

It's a good thing for us here that you can have the time to drop in and check things out.

If this is true, I'm WILL NOT touch any computer from library, ever again.