CIPA

I signed up for my discussion topic, CIPA, with some trepidation. I know a bare minimum about the topic, just that libraries utilizing government subsidies are required to use internet filters and the ALA is against this. There is a great deal of debate from both sides, and I didn't know how it still affects libraries today. I have found some great articles, including "CIPA: A brief history," by Brendan P. Menuay, that has helped me understand the law, the lawsuit, and the appeal that went to the Supreme Court. It is one of those complex issues that rests firmly in the gray zone, where patrons should have access to information, but at the same time, kids need to be protected from harmful images. I am still trying to decide if filtering is truly censoring. The reason I wonder is because while a patron has the right to search for information within a book, does that patron have the right to have it playing on a screen where children are present? I think the concept of filtering is anathema to intellectual freedom, but the reality is the filters are necessary to providing safe, quality service in a public forum. What I am still looking for now is how many libraries are actually opting against using E-rate discounts for internet access to avoid being under the CIPA laws.