Excerpt: Library computers will soon have a new layer of Internet protection for children.
City Council members voted 8-1 Tuesday night to add pornography-blocking software to computers used by children and the library's wireless Internet. Councilwoman Trudy Wade voted “no.”
Internet access for adults — excluding wireless — will continue to be affected by the current technology, which slows pornographic images or videos from loading on computers.
Council members did not discuss costs Tuesday night, but the city staff estimated that the technology could cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
The issue of porn on library computers was raised by Councilman Danny Thompson earlier this summer, when he asked his colleagues to use blocking software. But it was Councilman Zack Matheny who offered a compromise on the issue.
An issue not delegated by the city council to the library board as one of the latter group's powers and duties.
Link to Chapter 153 of North Carolina State Statutes.
According to North Carolina library law, [t]he governing body of a county or city may appoint a library board of trustees. [Emphasis added.] In other words, the law is 'permissive', i.e. optional, and board members serve in an advisory capacity.
Wisconsin state law, on the other hand, requires the formation of library boards.
43.54 Municipal library board composition. (1) (a) Each public library established under s. 43.52 shall be administered by a library board composed in each city of the 2nd or 3rd class or school district of 9 members, in each city of the 4th class of 7 members and in each village, town, tribal government or tribal association of 5 members. [Emphasis added.]
AN ACT TO MODIFY THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CHARLOTTE AND MECKLENBURG COUNTY AS ESTABLISHED BY CHAPTER 710 OF THE SESSION LAWS OF 1965, AND TO REPEAL CHAPTER 218 OF THE SESSION LAWS OF 1973.
Link to bylaws of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees. Note the wording of Article III, Sections 4 & 5.
In Wisconsin, for example, instead of receiving and disbursing, [t]he library board shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected, donated or appropriated for the library fund, and of the purchase of a site and the erection of the library building whenever authorized. (Emphasis added.]
Related articles.
These statistics are unlikely to appear on the library's annual report. (9/26/2010)
Library computer users viewing porn anger parents. (11/15/2009)
Editorial: Libraries versus porn. (11/19/2010)
A man with a mission to root out porn. (4/18/2010)
Libraries may get filters for websites. (8/3/2010)
Editorial: No easy way to filter library computers. (8/5/2010)
Letter to the editor: Do city council members have their library cards? (8/11/2010)
Library trustees pick less restrictive Internet filter. (8/17/2010)
Council won't filter library computers. (8/18/2010)
Editorial: The library, unfiltered. (8/21/2010)
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