Parents Support Unfiltered Net in Calgary

Staff -- Library Journal, 1/8/2001

After the Calgary Public Library installed Internet filters in children's rooms and gave parents the option to limit their children's Internet use, a large majority of parents have opted to let their children access the uncensored net. According to the Calgary Herald, of children up to 12, 93.5 percent have been granted unrestricted access, 5 percent filtered access, and 1.5 percent no access. Of young adults (13-17), 98.6 percent have unrestricted access, 1 percent filtered access and .3 percent no access. Alderwoman Sue Higgins, a library board member, said she thinks the 180 e-mails she received supporting filters came from very few people, because she couldn't reach the authors of the messages and got no phone calls. The library's Internet policy states: "Internet workstations are situated in a public area, and you are expected to use the Internet in accordance with this environment. Library staff are authorized to ask you to stop using the Internet if your use is disturbing others."