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Rin wrote on 2012-02-02 21:33
Quote from Seattle PI:
A Seattle woman is complaining that she was at the Lake City library with her kids recently, when she saw a man watching hard-core porn on a computer, with the screen facing toward toward the room.
She asked the librarian to move the man to a more discreet location. The librarian refused.
"She could see the screen from the information desk where we were standing and was sympathetic, but said that the library doesn't censor content," said Julie Howe, in an email published Tuesday on the neighborhood blog, Lake City Live.
"And they can't be in the business of monitoring what their patrons are doing at any given computer."
Howe, who was in the DVD section when she saw the man's screen, then asked him to move to another computer. He also refused.
Howe was scheduled to be on KUOW's The Conversation Tuesday at noon to talk about the Jan. 22 incident. She said one of her daughters, who are ages 7 and 10, had seen what the man was watching.
"I have had extensive conversations with the library about this incident, as well as with the police and local representatives," wrote Howe.
"The man's right to access constitutionally protected information is fully protected (which I'm not in argument with), but our right not to be inadvertent viewers is not."
Her complaint was echoed elsewhere. A preschool teacher near the Lake City branch said she doesn't feel safe taking her students to the library. A mother who frequented the Greenwood branch said she once was looking for "puppy books" with her kids, when she saw a man watching "very, very graphic stuff."
"Now I don't let my kids wander the aisles at our branch--so sad," the mother said.
Jessica Christensen also complained after she was standing in the "mystery" section of the Greenwood library with her toddler and saw a man watching porn.
"I agree that if you censor one thing you have the right to then justify censoring other things," Christensen said.
"But what I find ironic is that you can't talk too loudly at the Seattle Public Libraries or you'll be asked to keep it down so as not to distract the other patrons. You know, the patrons viewing pornography."
Andra Addison, spokeswoman for the Seattle Public Library, said the libraries do not filter content on computers, unless the computers are in the kids' section.
"We're a library, so we facilitate access to constitutionally protected information," she said.
"We don't tell people what they can view and check out ... Filters compromise freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. We're not in the business of censoring information."
She said the library's computer-access policy - filtering computers in the kids' area, allowing regular access in the adults' - has been in effect since 2001.
She also said the library was working with Howe to find ways to resolve the problem. One possible solution was moving things around, so that the DVD collection isn't as close to the computers. But Addision said such moves are difficult for smaller branches.
The libraries receive only a "handful of complaints" about inadvertent viewing of objectionable content a year, she said.
In 2010, the state Supreme Court ruled that public libraries can filter Internet content to block things like porn, after the ACLU had sued a rural library district in the state.
The civil-rights group had said the North Central Regional Library - located in Chelan, Douglas and other counties - had an overly broad Internet filter policy. It wanted filters removed if adults requested it.
But in a 6-to-3 decision, the court said no.
"A public library has traditionally and historically enjoyed broad discretion to select materials to add to its collection of printed materials for its patrons' use," the court wrote.
"We conclude that the same discretion must be afforded a public library to choose what materials from millions of Internet sites it will add to its collection and make available to its patrons."
"A public library has never been required to include all constitutionally protected speech in its collection and has traditionally had the authority, for example, to legitimately decline to include adult-oriented material such as pornography in its collection. This same discretion continues to exist with respect to Internet materials."
Source:
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-library-lets-man-watch-porn-despite-2873692.php
Perhaps an adult section in such a library could be considered?
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Cannibal wrote on 2012-02-02 22:00
Yeah, but like they said, rearranging things would be hard for a smaller library, so I'd imagine making a new section would be even harder.
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VorpalAvian wrote on 2012-02-02 22:33
Tbh it shouldn't be that hard to rearrange in a smaller library unless it's the size of an apartment. Shouldn't they have thought about separating their adult and kid works in different ends of the library? :x It's more of them outweighing what is more convenient for them than for the people that decide to go to the library, which isn't bad a lot of companies/people/places do that, it's just makes things a whole lot inconvenient for those that happen to the parties that end up in those kinds of situation. But on another note -.- WDF love how the guy just decides to watch porn where everyone else can see him watch it, that's disgusting and shows lack of taste. Must have been one ugly mutha to stop caring about how they might appear to others while they're watching something so perverted >:u Can't he have the decency to borrow it or go to a more secluded area D:< I swear people these days are lacking public etiquette and just love practicing rights that don't need to be practiced just for whatever convenience they use them for w/o thinking of those who would be affected T .T
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TropicalCat wrote on 2012-02-02 22:33
If he wants to watch that stuff so bad, why doesn't he invest in his own Computer/Internet?
Watching pron in public Isn't right, there could also be Childern running around.
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Ninjam wrote on 2012-02-02 22:38
I support the library, its the parents fault in this case. Censorship of any kind is very dangerous, the correct thing to do in this case is for the guy to not be an asshole and move to a computer in another area.
They took enough precations in my opinion, the childrens section has content filters, what more do you need?
I feel sorry for the mother, her children shouldn't have to see that, but you cant protect children forever. There going to ask about it eventually, so turn it into a learning experience.
Its my own opinion, but i believe that no public institution should have to censor anything for any reason. Its just not there job to do so, its a parents job. They can be sensible and place content in a way that discourages access to minors, but other than that the only way to completely ensure your children dont access this kind of content is by parental supervision. The mother talks about lettering her kids "wander the aisles", and gets angry when they see something objectionable. When i was 10, i loved going to the library next to my school. I "wandered the aisles" and came home with a book titled "sexuality and you", which as you can guess led to an awkward conversation with my parents.
The computer really doesn't matter, other than being an easy way for it to be visible. Censoring that would just lead to complaints about "bad books" which are everywhere anyway. An idea fix for this is positioning all the computers facing away from the aisles, or kicking the guy in the back of the head for viewing porn at a library.
oh, another thing i noticed.
"The man's right to access constitutionally protected information is fully protected (which I'm not in argument with), but our right not to be inadvertent viewers is not."
They have a right to not be inadvertent viewers? I was not aware that there is a law that says that its your constitutional right to not have to see something you dont want to see. If there was, it would have been really really useful while i watched my dad suffer for years with ms. I didn't want to see that, but in the end it made me stronger, more sympathetic to people, understanding, and above all it taught me that life is not freaking fair, and you dont whine and complain about it until someone fixes it, you fix it yourself. If it was me with my children in this situation, i would have walked up to the guy and tried looking as aggressive as i could, while calmly telling him i was going to stick my foot somewhere unpleasant if he would not relocate, that is if the original attempt at calmly explaining there are children here fails.
Im kidding, im not aggressive enough to do that, i would ask him to leave, but if he didn't i would resort to my creep out tactics of going "ok then, ill just stare at you until you get uncomfortable enough to leave" tactics. Also creepy, but surprisingly effective when i want people to stop doing stuff i dislike.
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Hiccup wrote on 2012-02-03 06:33
Well I do think they should have an adult section for things like this in a well blocked off area. It gives them complete rights and allows others to enjoy the library like they want. No respect these days. They guy should've moved if he had any common sense.
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Cucurbita wrote on 2012-02-03 07:09
When I was computer-less, I tried to be very respectful of public morals when using the library computers. But I read through the terms of use and turns out I can watch porn all I want on it because its not against the user agreement.
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Kollin wrote on 2012-02-03 07:46
Watching porn in public. How....distasteful.
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Cynic wrote on 2012-02-03 07:52
I'd punch the guy in the face and drag him outside myself if it was in view of my kids. He should know better than to watch the sort of thing in such a public area.
The library also needs to
a) Not allow that kind of material to be viewed or
b) Set up private places where you can watch porn
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Xemnas wrote on 2012-02-03 07:57
And here I thought most people here would be for anti-censorship in the US, oh well.
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Hiccup wrote on 2012-02-03 07:58
Quote from Xemnas;761000:
And here I thought most people here would be for anti-censorship in the US, oh well.
Public Library.
Minors are around.
Watching porn around minors.
Kinda ****ing creepy.
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Xemnas wrote on 2012-02-03 08:28
Quote from Hiccup;761003:
Public Library.
Minors are around.
Watching porn around minors.
Kinda ****ing creepy.
I agree with that part but they shouldn't be trying to ban it completely.
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Hiccup wrote on 2012-02-03 08:31
Quote from Xemnas;761066:
I agree with that part but they shouldn't be trying to ban it completely.
Like I said, move it to a separate, blocked off section of the library.
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Aliyah wrote on 2012-02-03 08:44
Quote from Xemnas;761000:
And here I thought most people here would be for anti-censorship in the US, oh well.
The librarians/managers decide what books are offered in their library. They also decide on other social rules such as staying quiet and wearing clothing.
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Lolicon wrote on 2012-02-03 08:45
I'm just gonna say it: the guy's a dick. There are children EVERYWHERE. Yet you gotta watch your little penises in front of them. Seriously, what the ****. I don't care how much you hate children, at least try to be human.