unblock Web pages or sites that contain only materials that might be deemed personal or

embarrassing, even if they are not sexually explicit or pornographic.  We credit the

testimony of Emmalyn Rood, discussed above, that she would have been unwilling as a

young teen to ask a librarian to disable filtering software so that she could view materials

concerning gay and lesbian issues.  We also credit the testimony of Mark Brown, who

stated that he would have been too embarrassed to ask a librarian to disable filtering

software if it had impeded his ability to research treatments and cosmetic surgery options

for his mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  

The pattern of patron requests to unblock specific URLs in the various libraries

involved in this case also confirms our finding that patrons are largely unwilling to make

unblocking requests unless they are permitted to do so anonymously.  For example, the

Fulton County Library receives only about 6 unblocking requests each year, the

Greenville Public Library has received only 28 unblocking requests since August 21,

2000, and the Westerville, Ohio Library has received fewer than 10 unblocking requests

since 1999.  In light of the fact that a substantial amount of overblocking occurs in these

very libraries, 

see infra 

Subsection II.E.4, we find that the lack of unblocking requests in

these libraries does not reflect the effectiveness of the filters, but rather reflects patrons'

reluctance to ask librarians to unblock sites.  

E.  Internet Filtering Technology

1.  What Is Filtering Software, Who Makes It, and What Does It Do? 

Commercially available products that can be configured to block or filter access to

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