incidents involving inappropriate behavior in libraries (sexual and otherwise) existed long

before libraries provided access to the Internet. 

b.  Methods for Regulating Internet Use

The methods that public libraries use to regulate Internet use vary greatly.  They

can be organized into four categories: (1) channeling patrons' Internet use; (2) separating

patrons so that they will not see what other patrons are viewing; (3) placing Internet

terminals in public view and having librarians observe patrons to make sure that they are

complying with the library's Internet use policy; and (4) using Internet filtering software.  

The first category   channeling patrons' Internet use   frequently includes offering

training to patrons on how to use the Internet, including how to access the information

that they want and to avoid the materials that they do not want.  Another technique that

some public libraries use to direct their patrons to pages that the libraries have determined

to be accurate and valuable is to establish links to  recommended Web sites  from the

public library's home page (i.e., the page that appears when patrons begin a session at

one of the library's public Internet terminals).  Librarians select these recommended Web

sites by using criteria similar to those employed in traditional collection development. 

However, unless the library determines otherwise, selection of these specific sites does

not preclude patrons from attempting to access other Internet Web sites.  

Libraries may extend the  recommended Web sites  method further by limiting

patrons' access to only those Web sites that are reviewed and selected by the library's

staff.  For example, in 1996, the Westerville, Ohio Library offered Internet access to

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