D#12,HW#4 Style

Word Choice: I tried to use words with clear meaning to convey my ideas.

The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the ALA published a "Statement on Library Use of Filtering Software" in 1997, which was revised in 2000, attempting to provide some guidance for all libraries facing filtering decisions. The statement lists eleven problems associated with filtering software, and seven things that libraries can do to address those problems (ala.org: Statement). The position of the ALA has a great deal of influence over policies enacted by public libraries, and they remain steadfastly against filtering. In their "Core Values of Librarianship" statement they address the topic of access, stating that "[a]ll information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users" (ala.org: Core Values). They make no distinction regarding the age of the library user, and recommend that libraries apply the lowest level of filtering possible to conform to CIPA guidelines (ala.org: Toolkit). One of the "Key Messages" in the ALA Internet Toolkit states: "The only lifelong Internet protection for children is to teach them to use the Internet properly and to teach them to be information literate, so they can make informed choices" (ala.org). That is a lofty goal, but in reality, children are not mature enough to surf the Internet with no boundaries in place. Libraries serving children, and especially school libraries, are under constant scrutiny regarding the measures they employ to protect children.

Sentence Structure: I tried to vary the length of the sentences to strengthen my argument.

Two steps should be taken to improve the situation. First, legislation should be drafted that will expand CIPA to include all public and school libraries. According to Nancy Kranich, former president of the ALA, the current legislation "force[s] libraries in economically disadvantaged areas to use already scarce resources to install expensive and unreliable filtering technologies or lose vital federal funds they need[...]"(Jost 481). Funding should not be used to blackmail libraries. Second, filtering requirements should be standardized for public and school libraries in order to reassure parents and teachers that children will be protected when accessing information on public computers. As outspoken as the ALA has been on the subject of freedom of access to information, they admit the need for additional measures to protect children, and their "Internet Toolkit" includes several pages of recommendations to help libraries deal with the issue (ala.org: Toolkit 6-9). Consumer Reports testing showed that even the worst filter successfully blocked eighty-eight percent of the access to pornography (ConsumerReports.org). That seems worth the effort.

Punctuation: Used a colon to introduce a short list, and a semi-colon to separate the two sets of details.

According to CIPA, filtering is only mandated for computers in libraries receiving two types of federal funds: E-rate and Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) (Bocher 36). E-rate funds are awarded in the form of discounts for Internet service (Carson 247); LSTA provides funds for Internet access or for the purchase of computers used for that access (Bocher 36).