Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Fond du Lac Public Library Upgrades Filtering Software


Link to August 3 Fond du Lac Reporter article.

Excerpt: In an effort to protect and prevent patrons from viewing pornography online, the Fond du Lac Public Library spent $25,000 this year to upgrade its Internet filtering software.

Library Director Ken Hall said the library periodically updates the software that restricts access to websites that may contain objectionable material, but also relies on staff and patrons to monitor computer use.

The only illegal pornography is child pornography. If staff members observe library users viewing child pornography, they will be reported to the police, Hall said.

That is what apparently occurred when in December 2008, two patrons reported Chad Voeller, 27, of Fond du Lac, for viewing child pornography on the library's online computer terminals. Voeller's library privileges were revoked for this and prior incidents, according to documents filed in a stalking/burglary case pending against Voeller.

Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Richard Nuss ruled the statements about Voeller's alleged child pornography viewing weren't admissible in the case, but that ruling has since been overturned on appeal. Nuss also seemed dismayed the library would be used to view online pornography
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