Research: filtered vs. unfiltered terminals.

In 1970 when I started my first job as a librarian at the Rugby Branch of  The Brooklyn Public Library, I was surprised to discover that the nearly 1000 page Book of Health was kept in the reference desk. The library did not intend to restrict the use of Book of Health, but to keep it safe from kids who liked to giggle over the dirty pictures and rip them out.    

Times have changed. We don’t worry about the Book of Health any more. Now that we have computers in the library, kids can easily find pictures of anything and everything on most of our public computers. However, the library does provide:

Computers with commercial filtering software for public use in the children’s area at each location in the Seattle Public Library system. This filtering software will block many specific sites that may be offensive to some users, but may not block all materials that may be offensive to all users. Parents should inform their children of materials they do not want them to use, and may wish to supervise their childrens Internet sessions. 

(You’ll find additional information on our internet use policies, and internet safety for children on the library website).

I was curious to see if using a filtered terminal would seriously inhibit a reference search.  In my work as a librarian, I always use a staff computer or an unfiltered terminal in the main area of the library.  I decided to experiment by doing a few reference searches (on categories being filtered) in the children’s room. 

These are the categories that are being filtered on our “Internet/ Word/Excel (Filtered Internet)” workstation type. If you try to click on a site that is blocked or filtered because of the category listed above, you get this message:

This web site cannot be accessed.  You can use other SPL resources, use an SPL terminal that allows open access, or ask a staff member for assistance.

For typical elementary school reports I didn’t have much trouble getting basic information.  I was able to find medical information, even on intimate body parts like breasts.  I was able to get information about smoking, gambling, drinking.   “Hate group” is a filtered category, so you can’t join a Nazi party, but you can still get into sites that you might need for your report on Nazis.  It was fun to type in cuss words just to see what would come up.  Some sites were filtered, yet others linked to dictionary entries.   I was surprised to discover that entire website, “Wikipedia”, is blocked.  Wikipedia is always one of the top sites listed in any kind of general search, and librarians use it a lot, so for that reason alone I wouldn’t want to do research on a filtered terminal

It wasn’t too difficult to find images of “provocative attire”,  but I guess that could be in the eye of the beholder.  I was able to buy cigarettes, wine, and penis enlargers, but it took a bit of scrounging. The blocking of access to “violent  games”  and social networking sites will assure parents of some measure of internet safety for their young people in the library. The filters on our children’s computers  do a reasonable job of blocking “offensive” material, but they are not a perfect.

If you are doing a research  project,  I would recommend using an unfiltered computer.  You don’t want to miss anything important that might be filtered, and you would be unlikely to be offended by any material that comes up automatically.    Once again, “parents should inform their children of materials they do not want them to use, and may wish to supervise their children’s Internet sessions.”

                  ~ Beth K, Broadview