Cyberspace & libraries across the US - October 1998

Here's our lineup for this issue on Libraries and the 'Net:

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Angie Papaccio of Bayonne, N.J., loves libraries. So it seems natural that her local public library was where Angie - a grandmother who doesn't have a computer at home - learned to use the Internet.

In the past year we've written a lot about the Internet in homes and schools. Now we take an in-depth look at the place where most everybody else will have the chance to encounter this brave, new, controversial world called cyberspace. Internet connectivity has put libraries, as well as schools, right at the epicenter of the online safety and free-speech debate.

Angie's own library story, which we'll tell you below, is a perfect example of what the American Library Association envisions for America's public libraries, 73% of which are now offering the public free access to the Internet. In an interview, ALA president Ann Symons told us, "Libraries are key places for lifelong learning. A big concern of libraries," Ann said, "is providing that equity of access…. For the people who don't have computers at home, it's the one place they can go. In the next century we're going to have to be logged on and literate."

This month we offer what we feel are the most important perspectives along the spectrum of this debate: those of Angie Papaccio and Ann Symons, as well as of librarians, advocacy groups, and a long-time adviser to school librarians on practical use of the Internet and other technologies.

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Feature interview:
A bird's eye view of school libraries and the Internet
The breaking news about Della Curtis is that she just won the Distinguished Alumni Award for Towson University's College of Education. We congratulate her! As you read this issue's feature interview with her, you'll see why this has happened to Della. Her official title is coordinator for the Office of Library Information Services for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), a district serving 103,000 K-12 students. But what she's really in the business of doing is making library walls "crumble" - her choice of verbs. Della sees school libraries "opening this whole new world of information gathering for children." That, she says, is done with many media - the ones that sit on bookshelves as well as the Internet.

She had this goal way before there was a "World Wide Web" (Tim Berners-Lee invented the Web in Switzerland in 1989; the first Web browsers were introduced in early '93). "I knew that our libraries were going to be without walls back in 1981, when I worked with our school system to get a telephone line in every high school library," she said.

She wanted Baltimore County school libraries to have access to electronic databases like Books in Print, archives of magazine and newspaper articles, and business and science databases. By 1984 phone lines and a Knight-Ridder package of databases called "Classmate" were in every middle school library, and by '91 every elementary school library. But that was just the spadework for a much more far-reaching project: By 1992 the Internet was offered in the library of every Baltimore County public school. That was when Gopher was the browser of choice and before any of us knew anything about the Web. Now that we've all heard about it but are still trying to understand its value to our children and students, it's good to talk to somebody who's thought about it for a long time. In a wide-ranging interview, we talked with Della about teaching and learning with the Internet, online safety, software filters, and - plainly and simply - why the Internet is such a big deal.

For students: "Critical evaluation"
"There's a fantastic book called 'Data Smog'," Della told us, "that helped me understand this information overload in our country. In a day you have information coming through the telephone, TV, radio, the computer, newspapers, books, magazines. We take in so much on a daily basis that we're forgetting things." Sure, the Internet is part of the problem. To Della, it's also part of the solution. "How do you select information and evaluate it?" she asked. "I can go home tonight and publish a Web page on how to do brain surgery, yet anyone who knows me knows I can't give people directions on how to do brain surgery. But that's what's out there [on the Web]" Therefore, she and her colleagues are using the Internet to "teach children how to be critical evaluators." (She pointed us to a lesson in how to critically evaluate Web information in a curriculum and a Web site Della helped create for parents. It's called "PIE" for "Parent Internet Education")

Part of critical evaluation is knowing what medium is useful when. "The Internet is very motivating to children," Della said. "This is the digital generation, they even have digital pets. So it can be very useful, because one of the things we learn is that we have to motivate our kids. But you need to teach kids it's not what medium you're going to, it's what is your problem to be solved?" She told of one student coming into the library to look up some music terminology. He spent an hour and a half on the Internet just trying to find words and definitions; he found everything but what he wanted. "With a book a librarian brought him, he had what he needed in two minutes."

The Internet and teachers
Actually getting Internet access into Baltimore County school libraries was only the beginning of a lot of work that needed to be done. "You can't possibly look at an entire school system of 11,000 teachers and say everyone has to learn to use the 'Net by December." First librarians needed to learn how to become information gatherers on the Internet and to look at what it presents "from the lens of a child." Then librarians had to figure out how to make it useful to teachers - "how to integrate the use of this technology with instruction…. Teachers have to see the utility of Internet use to them personally and professionally." Della said they asked themselves some tough questions. One of them was: "What do we do in libraries, and how do libraries support education?

An example of that support is "Research Modules Supporting the Essential Curriculum" - Web-based research units for students which exactly fit what teachers are teaching in each grade. For the fifth grade, there's "Energize!", with Web resources about energy sources and their impact on the environment. "Teachers are wild about these. They don't have to go in and hunt for the Web sites. These modules were developed from an idea of Dr. Jamie McKenzie [consultant, publisher, and editor of 'From Now On," an educational technology journal]." Della says each module takes people like Patricia Lawton, principal of Logan, one of the Baltimore County schools, two and a half days to develop! - a tremendous service for the teachers in her district.

Internet safety rules
"Two years ago my colleagues and I convinced our Board of Education that we needed to have a board-adopted telecommunications policy that would outline safe and appropriate student behaviors when using electronic networks. We researched it for nearly a year," Della said. They addressed two issues: acceptable use and acceptable Web publishing.

On the former: "The pioneers [in putting up school Web sites] had Web pages up, and some of the information about students made me very nervous - whole student resumes on the Internet, with full name, street address, telephone number." Those pioneers probably have since gotten a lot smarter, but information like that won't be put in any Baltimore County school - at least it's against school board policy.

On acceptable use by students: "Board policy clearly states that the Internet is used for educational purposes only," Della said. So rules about acceptable behavior on the Internet are outlined along with all the other rules and consequences in the Student Handbook, which the school system publishes every year and sends to 103,000 students' homes. Parents are required to sign and return their children's handbooks, agreeing to all the policies. "Abusing networks" is just one form of misbehavior on a list of offenses and consequences.

Yes to filtering
"We outline safe behaviors, too," Della said. "Our policy specifies that we have to have filters on all our computers." We asked her why. "Here's the way I view it: Since there is so much information available electronically now, we cannot as library media specialists do a selection and evaluation of materials as we'd done before with things on our shelves. We have coursework … that teaches us how to evaluate … material that supports the teaching and learning of our curricula. We don't buy any information that goes off that beaten path…. Since we can't possibly keep up with all the information on the Internet, we have to rely on what I call an electronic extra pair of hands that are going to filter out those things that I don't even need to consider. Therefore I am being an efficient information searcher. I don't need to see all of it."

We ran by her the familiar argument that software filters can block out useful information - for example about AIDS or breast cancer - as well as information not useful for study and research. "That is not so with the software product we use: N2H2. I would not want to have access to all the information out there on AIDS. I would want students to go to the Mayo Clinic Web site, for example - Web sites that deal that issue in a way appropriate for students. Those domains are not blocked. The technology of filtering is getting more sophisticated, too.

"But the best way to protect kids as far as using inappropriate material," she adds, "is to educate them - teach them to use search engines the correct way, more expanded search capabilities so they can define what they want, what sites would have the best information. It's education of children. The other part - what we [BCPS] are moving into now - is their parents…. I know there are some kids who would be as embarrassed as anything if I saw something I shouldn't see on their computer screen. It's all about parenting. It's that handbook that goes home - [a tool parents can use to] discuss these things with their child…. The best protection for children is involving their parents."

Student achievement/parent education
Parent involvement, Della says, not only improves students' online safety, it also helps them excel - just as in traditional media. "When you have parental involvement, studies show, students achieve more…. That's why PIE was created - to bring parents into the loop." Parents and children working and surfing together on the Internet is "no different from reading a book to a child." We don't make little children just read by themselves, she said, pointing to all that both child and parent gain in reading together. And it's wonderful, she said, for parents to let a child teach Mom and Dad.

So what's the big deal with the Internet?
We asked Della if there's a broad consensus in her school system that the Internet's valuable. "Absolutely. We've done a partnership with Bell Atlantic, IBM, Xerox, and Cisco that two years ago put a computer and ISDN line into every third-grader's home." That year only 20% of the third-graders were reading at grade level. "Those students are now fifth-graders, and they went with me to the American Links Up Town Hall meeting in Washington last month and sat on the stage with [Education] Secretary Reilly." Now 85% of them are reading at grade level. "It demonstrates a significant gain of an average of 1.3 grade levels in only a nine-month period!" Della said.

We asked her how the Internet helped them so much. Her answer: "The Internet is used daily as a learning tool for instruction, homework, and communication between school and family. They not only read information from Web sites but also use e-mail to write - another language arts skill. Students are highly motivated by the technology. The Internet's the most popular motivating tool right now for children." Later she added: "It's their world. Their employers are going to expect them to use it for research, problem-solving and decisionmaking, to communicate using e-mail with other offices, divisions, or customers. Companies will not only want them to be able to access, evaluate, and find information for problem-solving in workplace, but also to synthesize and communicate it, in presentations to board members! The Internet is a tool for all of those things - communication, information, evaluation, and production of new information."

Della's picks
We asked her for the URLs of some of her favorite education-related Web sites. From her own school district:

From other sources:

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Internet researcher/library user/grandmother extraordinaire
Angie Papaccio doesn't have a computer at home. So her public library in Bayonne, N.J. ("we're right across the Hudson River from Manhattan"), was where she got started using the Internet.

"I'm a 72-year-old lady, so a computer is a very brand-new thing for me. I noticed at the library that a lot of the children from school would come in at about 3 o'clock, and they'd sit down at the computers. They use them for their schoolwork. They really know what they're doing. I also noticed my granddaughter gets all the information she needs from the computer. They're all computer-literate and a lot of them don't have computers, either!"

We asked her what made her want to jump in. "I'm a great reference collector," she said. "When my grandson or son calls me - or a friend, or anyone - and they want some reference work done, I quickly jump down to the library and do the work! It's just two blocks away, and I've always loved libraries. They've always been an attraction for me - all those books. Our town of Bayonne is a small town, only 65,000 people, but we have a well-stocked library - newspapers, books, magazines, and now everything's being put on the computer."

We asked her how she got started. "My son works in the health field, and he needed some information about HMOs. That kind of assignment is right up my alley - always was. I would go into a good reference library that has a lot to offer and just delve into the magazines and whatever I could gather together to find the information. But now there's the computer. I didn't have any knowledge of how to get on the Internet. But we do have excellent librarians…. They put me on the Internet, and whatever I was searching for they'd bring up on the screen. They left me alone, because there was a lot of reading, of course. Then I'd decide if I really wanted to make a printout."

She'd had one encounter with the Web before that - a course on Internet basics for senior citizens at the local elementary school. She told us it was very exciting for her because "I'm a great lover of art - especially oil painting. I'd read in the paper that in Washington, DC, there was going to be a great exhibition, and I wanted to see the work of some of the artists. While I was taking that course, they asked us what we're interested in, and I told them 'art,' and they brought up the White House, and all the paintings I'd wanted to see were in that White House site! That was a great surprise."

From that experience to watching schoolchildren scramble for connected computers after school, Angie says she decided it was time to put the Internet to the test for her own reference work. We asked her how her HMO research for her son had gone. "My son's project worked out great. I found everything he wanted right on the Internet. He wanted to know how much the government was involved, how much insurance companies were involved. He was thrilled with what I found him."

And that was only the beginning. "My grandson … just graduated from UNH [University of New Hampshire]. After only about three weeks in his job, he called me up and said, 'Grandma I've got to go to grad school, and I want you to find out all the information for me on the business school at Harvard.' I told him, 'You're computer-literate - you can do it yourself.' He said, 'Grandma I don't have time. You do it for me.' So I did! I found him lots of information, and I also called the Harvard Business School and told them to send him information too.!" Next was research on archaeology and anthropology in Australia requested by a niece at Vassar who was going to spend her junior year there. "It was very much just an outline, but I learned so much, too!"

As her Internet projects took off, she realized the skills she used weren't much different. "I'm just doing what I always did, only on a computer, and getting the results a lot faster."

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From librarians themselves
Our friend and subscriber Carol Morrison, a grandmother and retired librarian, kindly did an informal poll of her colleagues via her librarians' listserv in Illinois. We asked them about 1) their libraries' biggest challenges in working with kids on the Internet, 2) what they felt are the best things about having the 'Net in their libraries, and 3) what advice they might have for parents. You'll be interested to note, as we were, that one new challenge they face is having to convince teachers, as well as students, that they can't find everything on the Internet; books and magazines are still useful! And we love the fact that the Internet is turning children into teachers in their own right.

Biggest challenges with the Internet

  1. Teaching kids to narrow their searches by using key words and boolean searching (once mastered, these techniques really help with thinking skills.
  2. Helping teachers learn how to utilize the Internet and give good assignments - assignments more specific than just "surf the 'Net."
  3. Helping teachers and students realize that the Internet is not the be-all and end-all of reference resources. Not only are traditional books and magazines still useful, but many schools also offer online periodical databases and reference CD-ROMs.
  4. Managing the use of the Internet is a challenge in that time and access are limited. Have to enforce reasonable time limits and such rules as "school work before sports scores."

Best things about the Internet

  1. Kids are reading and really thinking when they're online - have to make judgments and choices.
  2. Library business is booming - so many wonderful new resources - kids and teachers are enthused.
  3. [The new accessibility of] things like newspapers from around the world [and activities like] online field trips and teachers and librarians networking with other professionals to share lesson plans and useful Web sites.
  4. Kids help teach each other!
  5. Great range of Internet skills - both kids and teachers. This is getting better, with more and more access [for everybody, including at home].

Advice to parents
Get used to the Internet yourself. Consider if what you do online is what you want your kids to do. Learn searching strategies. Let your kids help you learn. Discuss the use of the Internet with your children - together decide if you'll allow chat rooms (which ones?) or e-mail, etc.

And Carol added: "None of the librarians who responded are using filters. A couple admitted that this concerned them at first but they're not finding that it's a problem."

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Filtering in libraries - for and against
The debate surrounding "decency" on the Internet won't be going away soon. Witness the fact that legislation nicknamed "CDA II," actually called the Online Child Protection Act, has gotten so much discussion in the US Congress this year. It was recently approved by the House Commerce Committee, but with Congress ending its legislative year this week (October 9), CDA II isn't expected to pass in '98. Two key players in the debate's first round were Enough is Enough and the American Library Association. After the original Communications Decency Act was passed into law in 1996, Enough is Enough argued in support of it before the Supreme Court, and the ALA argued against. As we all know, the Court struck the law down.

Meanwhile, decisions on Internet decency and children remain in the hands of parents, schools, and libraries; and Enough is Enough and the ALA continue to differ on the responsibility public institutions have. Filtering Internet use in libraries is inseparable from the public/private responsibility debate. So we asked Enough is Enough COO Monique Nelson and ALA president Ann Symons for their views. Here are excerpts:

Our first question to both: What is your organization's position on filtering Internet access in libraries?

Enough is Enough: "We believe the library should take the higher ground and protect children. Although many people have said that the sole responsibility of protecting children lies with parents, we believe parents are only the first line of defense, but traditionally in this country we all have a compelling reason to protect children, and the library should be one of the first places, because it's a government entity and it's our tax dollars at work. Libraries are in some ways caregivers. Children do go there unfortunately unattended…. In effect, the library has become an adult bookstore with a peepshow booth. We don't see the library lending Penthouse magazine to children. Why in the world would libraries allow that kind of material, and heaven knows much worse, as part of their lending policy on the Internet? The problem is that the general public doesn't have real knowledge of the kinds of explicit, hard-core pornography children can get on the Internet even unintentionally. That's our greatest problem."

ALA: "The American Library Association believes filtering software can be a useful tool for parents at home but that it is not appropriate for a public institution like the public library that serves people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. We do not endorse filters in libraries, because, quite simply, they don't work. They don't block all the "bad stuff" and they do block perfectly legitimate and helpful information for children and adults. Filters, unfortunately, don't always do what they're supposed to do and can give parents a false sense of security by leading them to believe their children are protected. We believe the best way to protect children is to teach them to be their own filters, to make positive choices about what they read, see, and view wherever they are - at a friend's house, the mall, or at the library."

On the question of whether blocking software really does the job:

Enough is Enough: "That's kind of an old argument [that useful sites also get screened out]. In the beginning filtering products were not what we wanted them to be. But the technology's moving so rapidly that we can manage the filters very well. Librarians can really have the say so as to what should be there and what shouldn't.… [We asked Monique if they favored any particular filter product:] We have not endorsed any products. What we have done is send a questionnaire to all the parents we know of and sent their questions and criteria to the makers of the filtering products. Then we published the companies' answers." The comparison chart's at .

ALA: "The problem with using filters in libraries is they don't block out all the material that some people might think is inappropriate for children and they do block sites that contain useful information for children as well as adults. Someone just told me their filtering system blocked the word 'cassette' because it contains the word 'ass.' Sites like the Mars Exploration Site (MARSEXPL), sites sponsored by the Quakers and the American Association of University Women, have been blocked either because of a combination of letters or content that some people - but not necessarily all people - might find objectionable. Because the Internet changes so quickly, even software manufacturers say it's impossible to block all inappropriate material."

About the lawsuits some library systems face because of a decision to filter:

Enough is Enough: "I think people should know that there are numerous libraries across the country that do want to filter - either on all the computers in the library or just the ones that children can access. But in some cases, when they've done that, the ALA and ACLU have threatened to sue them. Smaller communities don't have the kind of money they need to go up against the ALA and the ACLU."

ALA: "This [filtering] is absolutely a local decision. The American Library Association recommends policies based on our understanding of the law and best professional practice. These policies serve as models for local libraries. We fully respect the responsibility and right of every library board to adopt policies that reflect the needs and interests of that particular community. Most librarians understand this."

On public libraries and children's safety:

When we asked Enough is Enough's Monique Nelson what she'd say to parents on this, she said: "Parents cannot bring their children to the library and leave them alone. Also, if they have any influence in the community, I would certainly suggest that they try to bring these things to the attention of, for instance, the city council - or at least their local representative. Start bringing to the attention of the community that its children aren't safe, and that filtering and blocking is an option, even if only in the children's areas of libraries…. I think one of the worst things that can happen is parents not knowing and dropping their kids off at the library thinking they're safe."

ALA: "Libraries continue to be safe places for children. The truth is libraries have always contained material that some parents might not want their children to see. In fact, one of the reasons people value libraries is that they provide a wide range of viewpoints and respect the right of individuals to choose for themselves and their families what they wish to read or view. Most parents understand this and monitor their children accordingly…. Almost every library has a policy that governs Internet use. And librarians are there to answer questions about the Internet and to assist children in selecting the best materials for their needs, whether it's a good book or a good Web site. But it's up to parents to take the lead in monitoring what their children view, where they go and who their friends are. The most important thing parents can do to protect their children is to teach them to make wise choices - whether it's about books, movies, TV or the Internet.

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Meaty links
Here are some sites we turned up in our research on libraries and the Internet. They represent many points on the political spectrum….

Alternatives to Filtering and Blocking - A well-researched rationale and list of links developed for a project by two students at the University of Tennessee. On this page there are links to three articles on the Web that "provide arguments for alternatives to filtering software," the authors say.

"Censorship in a Box: Why Blocking Software is Wrong for Public Libraries" - a 17-page whitepaper the American Civil Liberties Union released last June. In it, the ALCU says, "Blocking software is clumsy and ineffective. It censors valuable speech and gives parents and educators a false sense of security about what their children are encountering online" (here is the ACLU's press release). Of course Enough is Enough and Baltimore County School District's Della Curtis disagree for different reasons, but seeing both sides of the debate frames it nicely.

"A Dozen Reasons Why Schools Should Avoid Filtering" - from "From Now On," the educational technology journal. This may be a little outdated, since the filtering software it refers to has undoubtedly improved since its writing in March/April '96. Nevertheless, here's a concise list of well-thought-out anti-filtering arguments. They'll give pause to anyone with strong leanings toward filtering.

"Families and the Web: Articles, Books, and Other Resources for Family Web Excursions" - from Dr. Jamie McKenzie of "From Now On." Not about libraries, but a wonderful page we came across in our research for this issue.

Filtering Facts - A comprehensive look at Web filtering in schools and libraries, including news and information about current legislative and litigious efforts for and against filtering in these public institutions. There are links to anti-filtering sites, pro-filtering sites, a list of recommended filters, and a FAQ on common misconceptions about blocking software. It's brought to you by a Lake Oswego, OR-based organization called Filtering Facts, whose president is 36-year-old librarian and father David Burt. He says he founded FF because he was concerned that pro-free-speech organizations like the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union were dominating the debate about Web-filtering in libaries and schools. He wanted to balance this "one-sided debate," he says in his site. The ALA does practice what it preaches: We found the Filtering Facts site on ALA president Ann Symons's page in the ALA site.

Filtering Products & Libraries - A useful links list put together by a group of librarians in western Massachusetts who oppose the ALA's anti-filtering position. It includes a list of filtering products available.

Filtering Software Guide - This is a useful service to anybody looking into filtering. It's provided by Enough is Enough, whose position is that libraries should install filtering/blocking software at least on all computers to which children have access. But this page simply presents a chart showing the features offered by nine different filtering products (e.g., Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, and Surf Watch) and links to their manufacturers' sites. The features list is based on questions about these products which Enough is Enough has received directly from parents.

Guiding Children Through Cyberspace - A site for parents (mostly for home use of the 'Net) that was put together by librarian Carolyn Caywood of Virginia Beach, VA. It's an expanded list of well-evaluated links to sites about: filters and monitors, raters and ratings, and reviews of such products on the Web. There's also a thoughtful list of links to: advice for parents, an Italian and an Australian perspective on filtering (nice to get outside North America sometimes!), a teenager's reaction to filters, and an example of punitive use of filtering. She first published the page in '96, but she last updated it last month. Thanks, Carolyn!

Intellectual Freedom and Other Internet Links - Don't miss this great links list on ALA president Ann Symons's page. Among other places, it'll take you to: "tools and options for parents on how to guide children through cyberspace"; "The Internet Advocate," a resource guide for librarians and educators; The Parents' Guide from the Children's Partnership, National PTA, and National Urban League; and "TeenHoopla: An Internet Guide for Teens." A tremendous resource.

Internet Use Policies - a resource for schools and libraries from Dr. Jamie McKenzie, editor of the educational technology journal "From Now On," for developing good policies for 'Net use by children (McKenzie used to have a job like Della Curtis's for the Bellingham, WA, school district).

Peacefire: Youth Alliance Against Censorship - Peacefire was created in August '96 to represent students' and minors' interests in the debate about freedom of speech on the Internet. The site's main focus is on blocking software and features commentary on the various products available (Peacefire says that in December 1996 CYBERsitter added Peacefire.org to its list of pornographic sites); "Blocked Site of the Day" (for example, AIDS Quilt); and "CRADLE," a search engine on top of a database of terms related to Internet users' rights. The site also includes many useful links to mainstream-media stories about policies, legislation, and litigation concerning libraries' and schools' positions on filtering. [11/98 update: Peacefire just put up a new site that just distributes tools for disabling Web filtering products. It's not a huge threat, though, to those who object. Keeping informed and having sound 'Net-use rules and policies are powerful antidotes. Besides, the makers of filtering products usually come up with code that disables the disabler.

Public Library Internet Access Policies - Quite a service from the Lake Oswego Public Library, it's a compilation of 125 public libraries' (large and small) Internet policies. There are links, here, to other collections of public-library 'Net policies. Judging quite superficially from the fact that Lake Oswego is the base of both a very Internet-savvy public library system and of the pro-filtering organization Filtering Facts, this city is a hotbed of connected-library debate!

Yahoo!'s Blocking and Filtering page

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What we've learned
We hesitated to write this section this month because there was already a lot of material to share with you. But we learned so much from these interviews that we thought this editorial section might help pull it all together.

It was just plain fun talking with Angie Papaccio about her discovery of the Internet. Her interest and joy were palpable. She'd always loved libraries and doing research. But now, thanks to the school kids in the library who inspired her and the librarians who readily helped her, her research is even more fun and convenient, and she feels more connected with her family (if that's possible!).

But remember, Angie is an experienced researcher. For example, she knows how to scan material to see if it's useful and how to determine the credibility of a source. More than any other research tool, the Internet requires these skills, and children need to be taught them. That's where Della Curtis's term "critical evaluation" comes in. It's the focus of what she and her colleagues at Baltimore County Schools are trying to teach about the Internet. If we can't evaluate what we download, the Internet loses much of its value. On the other hand, if we are discerning, the world's information is indeed at our fingertips and libraries don't have walls.

Also, while Della's Office of Library Information Services works hard at keeping the focus on all that the Internet can offer, they know there are other, important, bases to cover: School Board policies on 'Net usage and behavior; rules and repercussions for students; proper training and curriculum integration for teachers; involving parents with a course just for them (Parent Internet Education, or PIE); and flexible, librarian-managed filtering. Baltimore County Public Schools' is a valuable case study for all "Netizens." We have much to learn from each other's hard-won Internet expertise.

On that last item: Filtering is controversial, so much so that some library systems are embroiled in litigation. Some of us are for filtering in public institutions, some against. The opportunity for us concerned parents, regardless of where we stand, is to find out how policies are being shaped in our libraries and communities and see where it's appropriate to get involved. We can also help to educate our peers, so they know that Internet usage policies are or should be under discussion in our public schools and libraries. This is an issue that should be considered and resolved by consensus, ideally (rather than by legislation or litigation), and community by community - a position which the ALA rightfully takes. And Enough is Enough fully supports parent involvement in community policymaking.

Then there's the filtering technology itself. Some say that it's not good enough, others that it's improving rapidly. One thing's for sure: It's a highly competitive little industry, so the technology is indeed improving. But there are differences among filtering products and services. For example, N2H2, which is what Baltimore County schools use, is a service sold to school and library systems and Internet service providers (which is how families access it). These large customers have a lot of say in what is and isn't filtered out. For school systems that's good news: 1) they can match the filtering to their educational mission, and 2) the filtering is manageable and flexible enough to keep up with changing curriculum and research needs. For public libraries, with much broader constituencies, it becomes more difficult. Ultimately, only public consensus can guide an institution that exists to serve that public. For families, as always, the choice of product or service depends on the family's goals and values and how good a job a particular solution does at matching the family's interests.

But having said all that, what this whole issue is really about is children - keeping their online activities constructive and safe in places where we have less control over their experience. And beyond that, we can help ensure that they're doing the great things pointed out by librarians we polled in Illinois: "reading and really thinking when they're online," making informed judgments, using this opportunity access to resources worldwide, and helping and teaching each other. And because all this is happening, according to librarians themselves, the library business is booming!

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We'd love to hear what you think about anything written here. Tell us about your library's presentation of and policies for Internet use. Do you feel libraries should be filtering Internet access? What would you recommend to librarians as they work with children? Let us hear from you!

Next month: Family connections, toys for the holidays, and more. We'd be delighted to hear about your family's experiences with keeping in touch over the Internet. Please e-mail us at feedback@sagefamily.com.

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