to enforce the policy by means of a  tap on the shoulder.  Prior to adopting its current
Internet Use Policy, the Board adopted an  Addendum to Current Internet Use Policy.  
Under the policy, the Board temporarily instituted a two hour time limit per day for
Internet use; reduced substantially the number of computers with Internet access in the
library; reconfigured the location of the computers so that librarians had visual contact
with all Internet accessible terminals; and removed the privacy screens from terminals
with Internet access. 
Even after the Board implemented the privacy screens and later the  tap on the 
shoulder  policy combined with placing terminals in view of librarians, the library
experienced a high turnover rate among reference librarians who worked in view of
Internet terminals.  Finding that the policies that it had tried did not prevent the viewing
of sexually explicit materials in the library, the Board at one point considered
discontinuing Internet access in the library.  The Board finally concluded that the
methods that it had used to regulate Internet use were not sufficient to stem the behavioral
problems that it thought were linked to the availability of pornographic materials in the
library.  As a result, it implemented a mandatory filtering policy.  
We note, however, that none of the libraries proffered by the defendants presented
any systematic records or quantitative comparison of the amount of criminal or otherwise
inappropriate behavior that occurred in their libraries before they began using Internet
filtering software compared to the amount that happened after they installed the software. 
The plaintiffs' witnesses also testified that because public libraries are public places,
43




Untitled Document




TotalRoute.net Business web hosting division of Vision Web Hosting Inc. All rights reserved.