Internet filters in Canadian libraries

Internet filters can be understood as any method that “[blocks] content [from] coming into and going out to the Internet” (PC Magazine, n.d., para. 1). Instantaneously, the word ‘blocks’ causes advocates of intellectual freedom to stand at attention. The American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights states: “a person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views” (as cited in Houghton-Jan, 2010, p. 40). More specific to the topic at hand: “the use of Internet filters to block constitutionally protected speech … compromises First Amendment freedoms and the core values of librarianship” (ALA, n.d., para. 1). This paper will investigate and discuss the function of and methodology behind internet filters, with specific attention to their application in Canada. Following a general overview, a discussion follows of what library professionals in public and school libraries should do to uphold and protect intellectual freedom.

From Barriers to Beginnings

The ubiquity of new media in the lives of young people with high-incidence disabilities raises two important questions: how can new media be used as Assistive Technology (AT) and what can new media offer that other technologies may not? This chapter attempts to answer these questions by discussing the shifting and dynamic barriers to making this transition while also illuminating convergences between the goals of new media and AT. While this chapter explicitly concentrates on opportunities within the classroom, educators can also employ the guidelines provided herein generally in out-of-school contexts. Barriers to be discussed include electronic curb cuts and aggressive Internet filters. After discussing such barriers, solutions, including some classroom protocols and a list of resources, are shared to help educators evaluate new media as well as in the integration of new and old media as AT.