In the ever changing face of technologies, librarians are constantly faced with issues of ethics. One of the most challenging aspects of being a librarian could abide by the American Library Association Code of Ethics. The
It’s important that librarians are well informed and trained on the changes in technology. With these changes, Universities are forced to update their Media Specialist programs. Updating the program can be very expensive. In addition, libraries must keep their current employees educated and updated with the changes. This forces the libraries to provide its employers with access to professional developments related to the updates which would come out of the library’s funds.
Ethics and Intellectual Freedoms
It is a librarian’s responsibility to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom (
Ethics and the Patriot Act
Along with the terrorist acts of 9/11, came provisions to laws in order to prevent future attacks, but also as a result of law enforcement officers investigating computer crimes, including e-mail threats and possible violations of the laws addressing online obscenity and child pornography (American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, April 2005). The Patriot Act, passed October of 2001, directly affects libraries. Requiring libraries to turn over a patron’s activities, The Patriot Act goes against the Code of Ethics of the
Ethics and the School Media Specialist
Along with issues with filters, Media Specialists also face the task of preparing children for the Internet. With all of this information so readily available, SLMS must educate their students about what plagiarism is, what constitutes as plagiarism, as well as how to avoid committing plagiarism. A study conducted at
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks of SLMS is that of teaching children how to evaluate resources found on the web. A wide variety of information is available providing a diversity of opinions and ideas on any given topic. With that said, not all of the information available is worth while. Its important for SLMS to prepare their students for the world of Googling when researching.
Bibliography
Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas. Journal of Abnormal Eating, 8(3). Retrieved February 20, 2003, from PsycARTICLES database.
Cooper, K. "Your Library Visit Questions." kristy.cooper@westland.lib.mi.us. 2 April 2008.
Flagg, G. (2007).
Johnson, D. (2004).
Kerbs, R. (2005). Social and Ethical Considerations in Virtual Worlds. The Electronic Library, 23(5), 539-546.
Levine, L. Libraries in the Digital Age 2001. Information Today, 18(8), 56-7
Trushina,
Wengert, R. (2001). Some Ethical Aspects of Being an Information Professional. Library and Trends, 49(3), 486-540.
(22 January 2008). Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm.
Discussion Questions
- Do the benefits of filters in schools outweigh the drawbacks? Are there any exceptions?
- Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers?
- What ways can librarians help children and teens to evaluate the information available?
33 comments:
Although I don't believe filters should be placed on computers, I recognize the benefits. By placing filters on computers, schools or libraries are able to receive funding, the filters are there to protect children and teens from finding potentially harmful information. I don't believe filters should be placed on computers because it limits what information can be accessed and thus limiting a student or minors intellectual freedom. According to Barack, "web-filtering software made researching term papers more difficult" (Filters Impede Learning). In order for children and teens to evaluate information available, librarians should teach them how to recognize reliable sources and websites.
Jessica Kay-Oosterhouse
Source:
Barack, L. Filters Impede Learning. School Library Journal. v 51 no. 12 (December 2005) p 24.
I think that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I’m not a big fan of filters; however, they’re necessary in a school setting. It’s difficult for a teacher/librarian to monitor a large group of students on computers. Unfortunately, while kids are at school the staff must take on a role akin to a parent or guardian. I know from my experiences as both a high school student and a student teacher that kids will try to view inappropriate websites at school. As a high-school student (in the days before filters) many of my classmates would go to disgusting website that showed victims of murder and mutilation and would go into chat rooms to have sexually explicit conversations. When I did my student teaching at a school with filters I would find students attempting to circumvent the system or I would find them on their friends’ MySpace pages looking at pictures of marijuana and (presumably underage) drinking. Since teachers and school librarians are responsible for kids while they are at school they must do all they can to keep kids away from materials like that.
One way that I help patrons evaluate websites while helping them research a subject is to point out where the information came from by looking at the domain name. If the top-level domain is "edu" or "gov," I feel comfortable that the information is credible. I also try to point patrons and students towards specific website when beginning a search, such as the Internet Public Library (ipl.org) or even our own library's website. I know that the suggested research links on these pages have been reviewed by professionals and contain credible information. It is important that patrons understand that anything can be posted to the internet, and that when performing research, they must be discerning when accessing the information.
I think the best way to help students and teens evaluate their resources is to give them a good place to start their research. Instead of introducing them to Google, we should introduce them to the school or public library website and see what they can find from there. If nothing is available, perhaps there are other credible sites that students should be starting from instead of Google. I wonder if there are kid-friendly databases available for use. Does anyone know?
While the questions posed are primarily about filters (which I strongly disagree with, in all circumstances) I actually wanted to address the statement about professional development.
"In addition, libraries must keep their current employees educated and updated with the changes. This forces the libraries to provide its employers with access to professional developments related to the updates which would come out of the library’s funds."
I would hope that the provision of funds and time-off as necessary for continuing education/professional development would be seen as a positive, and not a ‘drain’ on library funds. Providing funding for training and development is standard practice in most organizations, a recognition of the fact that an organization’s strength really does come from its employees and their knowledge and skills. It is simply wise human resources policy. Organizations and the demands placed on them are always changing and employees need to keep up to date with these changes if they are to, in turn, help keep the organization relevant and thriving. The "lifelong learner" information professional is not only desirable but essential.
With respect to the question, “Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers?” here is an interesting item from Freedom to Read Foundation News,
Volume 19, Nos. 1 / 1994:
“… courts have held that children are entitled to the protections afforded by the First Amendment. Thus, courts have held that governments (including school boards) may not restrict minors' access to materials based on the viewpoint expressed therein. Although it may not violate the First Amendment to restrict access to a special or rare collection because of concerns of theft or vandalism, it would violate the First Amendment to restrict access to expressive materials, or ban them entirely, on the basis of viewpoint-even if the restrictions were directed to minors. The Supreme Court has held that the critical inquiry centers on motivation.
In Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), the Supreme Court considered whether a school board's removal of books from a school library violated the First Amendment rights of the students…The plurality opinion emphasized that ‘local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to ‘prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.’”
Notwithstanding any contradictory case law since 1994, I think the same logic should apply to filters.
http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/othergroups/ftrf/ftrfinaction/ftrfnews/ftrfnews.cfm#policies
Beth,
In response to kid-friendly databases, the library that I work at does have some listed on their homepage. Some are directed towards kids while others are simply a credible site to get information. These are set up as links so the students can simply click and do their search. Some of the sites include:
www.factmonster.com
www.kidsclick.org
www.worldbookonline.com
www.nationalgeographic.com
From my experience working in a school library and as a teacher, it is very difficult to be aware of what all kids are viewing on the computer. Parents have entrust the staff to keep their child safe while they are at school and that includes the Internet. We had an issue earlier this year where a student had gotten onto a chat site and was chatting with older boys. The parents found out and were very upset at how we could let this happen at school. We are expected to monitor the students and for the amount of information that filters block, I think that it is worth it to help us keep the students safe in a school setting. Most students have access to unfiltered Internet at home so if they really need a site for homework that is blocked at work, they can get to it at home under the supervision (hopefully) of their parents or guardian.
As we have read, there is a lot of information that the filters block so teachers and librarians need to constantly be checking in on the students. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I found a student doing a google search for swimsuit models and he was getting some Playboy pictures in his search. He was then saving them to his flashdrive so we had to suspend his Internet usage, confiscate his flashdrive and his mom had to come meet with the principal in order for him to get it back. Obviously the filter did not block this which stresses the need for supervision of children with or without filters.
I've always thought that colleges and high schools should require their students to take library classes their senior years so they are made aware of the vast amounts of resources that are available to them. The University of Texas' LIS program initiated a new service where they work with professor who are teaching research classes and the LIS grad students go there and talk to them about which sources work best with what subject matters. One positive is that the new service gives the students a sense of which sources are scholarly and which are not (wikipedia). All too often people turn to search engines for answers and resources, instead of consulting a reference librarian or databases and this is a growing problem with technology. But this problem can be combated with proper education and a willingness by schools, museum, and libraries to work together.
I'm not the biggest fan of filters on computers, either, but i understand the need for funding and most libraries require those filters in order to receive their money. I know that some students will try and push the envelope no matter what, but that is where parents, teachers, and librarians come in - to teach students the rights and wrongs of searching and using the Internet. Make it fun. Make it a game. Give the students a topic and have them see how many quality websites they can find. Whoever gets the most wins. Or give them questions that only quality websites will have the answers to, and give out little prizes to whoever gets the correct answers.
In answer to your question, Mary about databases for kids, try http://www.kidsclick.org/. The Sterling Heights Public Library also has alot of websites for kids. Try http://www.shpl.net/kidsnet.html for more sources.
We all struggle today to make sure tomorrow is better than today in every way. School children today are those who are going to be in charge tomorrow so they should be properly molded. It is however obvious that technology has made access to a wide range of information. This information has the good and bad entangled together. We do not know what school children will copy and what they will not copy. The filters on the computers are there to prevent the negative and give access only to the positive, though some of latter is hidden. In my opinion the benefits outweigh the drawbacks as we all look forward to a better tomorrow based on objectivity.
It is true that putting the filters on computers goes against the ALA policy on intellectual freedom. But we are not denying these students/minors of their intellectual freedom because the same ALA has rules on prohibiting certain scenes and websites from minors. This is only in their own benefit. It is better to avoid something getting bad, than waiting for it to get bad then you have to fix it.
We can organize awareness programs to tell them what is good and what is not good for them. This does not have to be a sex lecture but one on general adversity that can stem from the internet. Also in the children and young adult sections of the various libraries, their machines should have mainly educative games and websites. They should also be asked their opinion during different forums on filters and what they think filters are for. The fact is we cannot filter all adversity on the world wide web, so we can only do our best to control.
Do the benefits of filters in schools outweigh the drawbacks?
No. I suppose filters keep people from being distracted from school work. However, kids always seek out the sites not blocked by the filters. Filters block material needed for school projects, defeating the purpose of having the computers there in the first place.
Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers? Yes. Students should be able to access information crucial to their learning process. What is the point of a computer in school if you cannot research for and write a paper.
What ways can librarians help children and teens to evaluate the information available? Librarians can work together with english/literature teachers in educating the students in becoming discerning researchers.
Mary V brings about a good rule of thumb. One would assume that a government office or educational institution would provide valid information.
As for Beth P, I see many have already given suggestions on web search engines that are suitable for kids. I particularly liked www.kidsclick.org. It seems to be user-friendly as well as provide a wide range of material for it's users.
I particulary found Catherine G's quote from the Board of Education v. Pico interesting. This reminds us that librarians have always been faced with issues relating to intellectual freedom even before the web.
I think in the case of schools, it is needed on some level. That being said, I think the way that schools determine what should and should not be filtered may be the bigger issue. Since most schools have a wide variety of ages, I can see where the need for filters is necessary. When you think about it though, all information in schools are filtered. They only provide a student with a specific amount of information in books as well.
# Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers?
-I believe that we are denying a youth/student's intellectual freedom by placing filters on our computer systems. By doing so, we are restricting their right to access to information. It has been said time and again that libraries are not in the business of regulating decency. To restrict access to any site, the library is restricting one's access to information. Although I do see the value in filtering, I think the parent or guardian should be present to determine what their children can view. Or, perhaps, libraries could have some way for a parent to authorize or de-authorize filtering for their child (through a patron's library account).
# What ways can librarians help children and teens to evaluate the information available?
-I think it would be helpful for the library to have a list of reliable web resources (such as .gov, .edu sites). Another thing librarians can do it to stress the importance of professional sites, like government, hospital, American Medical Association, and colleges. Having training courses for parents and youths would be a possibility.
Meagan Brown
Do the benefits of filters in schools outweigh the drawbacks? Are there any exceptions?
I don't think filters are a good idea, but in schools I think they are there for the good of everyone. Without filters on school computers it is very tempting for young children and young adults to get into trouble and sidetracked with other things not the school work they should be doing.
Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers?
This is a yes and no answer. Of course we want them to be able to do all the research but then again we don't want them to see things that they should not see.
What ways can librarians help children and teens to evaluate the information available?
Librarians can give them all the book information that they may need and also provide the internet articles and websites that can help.
Placing filters in schools definitely has pros and cons but I think that the pros outweigh the cons because children need to be protected from harmful information, although it is against ALA code of ethics and it is kind of limiting full access to information. I think that a fair solution is to place filters in primary school where children are still very young to decide upon what to access and in secondary schools it is ok if computers are not filtered.
Librarians can teach Students ethics in cyberspace, they need to know how to use technology thoughtfully, evaluate information so to choose the reliable resources. This could be done by conducting workshops and giving sessions where they can provide students with reliable websites and hints on recognizing the trustworthy information.
Filters are absolutely necessary in a school setting. Anyone who thinks they they aren't has never had to deal with 30 kids in a computer classroom. You have no idea how angry most parents get if their kid stumbles across adult subject matter during school hours. Teachers are the ones liable for this.
Do I agree with it? Nope! Is it censorship? Definitely! But I believe that our society as a whole would have to change its ideas about s#* in order to remove the need for filters on school computers. Few things get parents as bent out of shape, and schools simply can't accept the liability.
I think it was Tara who pointed out that all information in schools is filtered. This is so true! For example, our kids are being fed a whitewashed,, sanitized version of history designed to turn them into patriotic citizens. (The Thanksgiving story, anyone?) A filtered internet is just one more way of monitoring the information in our schools.
Christy mentioned that the internet has made plagiarism much easier. I did not realize this until I read New on the Job: a School Library Media Specialist's Guide to Success. I always assumed that computers had made it easier to nab plagiarists, but apparently there are sites where one can purchase a term paper (such as www.schoolsucks.com). However, schools can purchase software (like Turnitin.com) to catch plagiarists.
I think the key is to work with students to help them identify credible sites. Students really need to become familiar with databases. Teachers should also redesign assignments to make plagiarism more difficult. For example, they can assign oral presentations in which students answer questions from the class. Teachers can also require note cards.
Source:
Weisburg, Hilda K., & Toor, Ruth. (2007). New on the Job: a School Library Media Specialist's Guide to Success. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
I feel that there can be some drawbacks to having filters on school computers but there are also many benefits to having them also. As a teacher I've experienced first hand a school that has these filters in place. When working on projects in the library computer lab students are not always on task doing the research they are supposed to be on. Instead they are checking email and looking up other websites unrelated to the task at hand. Sites like MySpace, Facebook and some email sites are blocked. This really helps teachers keep those students working. However, you also have to take into account the students that do not have the Internet at home and want to join these sites but the only place they have access is at school. An easy solution could be to have a few computers for recreational use at school that would be unfiltered for these types of sites, obviously students should no be looking up pornography or other related sites (that someone would be bound to look up eventually), but allow them to use MySpace or other similar sites. Librarians really need to be able to show students the reliable websites to use and how to determine whether or not its a good one to use. Wikipedia is NOT a good site and many students feel that it is reliable to use and it's also a easy alternative to doing real research. I personally don't accept wikipedia and other related sites when my students are doing projects to help them to understand that it is not a good one to use. Maybe if librarians come up with a handout of common unreliable sites it would be a beneficial resource for students to use when researching.
Lih, Andrew. Wikipedia as Participatory Journalism: Reliable Sources?
http://blackboard.wayne.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_169_1
1. I have worked in a school system for five years. We have filters on the computers. I do recognize that filters can protect young children and teens from potentially harmful sites. Filters can also prevent negative social situations from occuring.I also recognize that these filters are not as effective as they should be. Young people tend to be very tech savvy and can often work their way around these filters. In 2000, Congress passed the Children's Internet Protection Act as an effort to censor they types of information that children can access. According to a survey of high school librarians, some young patrons were unable to access materials and technolgy they need to complete homework. Librarians fought and failed to reinstates student's access to online materials.
Source: Dobija, J. the First Amendment Needs New Clothes. American Libraries v. 38no.8 (September 2007) p.50-3
2. I believe that restricting access to minors is a volation of their Library Bill of Rights. These Bill of Rights grant minor access to resources and services in the school library medial program.
3. The First Amendment grants students the right to be heard. Librarians should find out what types of books and materials students enjoy and what would be most useful to them. Librarians should also collaborate with teachers and parents to find out resources they deem useful.
Source: Scales, P. Freedom for All? School Library Journal v. 53 no. 12 (December 2007) p.54-7
It is difficult to say whether the benefits of filters outweighs the drawbacks. I think that minors should not have unlimited access to information when it is not possible for a parent or guardian to be present to assist the minor in processing the information they see.
I don not think that a child's intellectual freedom is suffering because of filters. Children do not have the same rights as adults. They are not held up to the same standards of accountability as adults.
It is important; however, to teach children and teens how to evaluate the material they find on the internet. There is a website that gives an overview of how to evaluate websites. It is through the Cornell University library. Evaluating Websites: Criteria and Tools It is a good resource for anyone who wants to gain a critical perspective of a site.
Do the benefits of filters in schools outweigh the drawbacks? Are there any exceptions?
Based on information researched in class, I think that filters can have benefits and drawbacks. Filters in schools can prevent students from accessing inappropriate websites while doing research or just searching on the Internet. However filters can have drawbacks and prevent students from accessing school approved websites. Preventing the student from completing the assignment at school and having to find other resources. Making the use of filters a major drawback in the eyes of some parents and educators.
Are we denying a student/minor of their intellectual freedom when we place filters on computers?
I do not believe that students or minors are being denied their intellectual freedom with the placement of filters. As responsible adults we try to put children in environments where they are protected from harmful material and using filters is one of those ways. When you have a large group of students using computers at one time it is difficult to monitor who is accessing what sites, therefore filters can assist in keeping unwanted sites out of the views of children. Children should be informed just as adults are that the school computers have filters on them, therefore if there are particular sites they want to access they will know they have to do it from another location like at home or a friend’s house.
Holli,
Thanks for sharing your personal experiences. I too believe that parents expect school teachers and librarians to keep their children safe while they are in their care. I understand the parents being upset about their child chatting with boys on the computer. I think that instead of the parents getting upset with the school, they should have tried to find out what the policy / procedures are at the school to try and find out why this happened. Then they would’ve understood that the school has policies in place, but of course nothing is 100% full proof. They need to explain to their child that what they were doing is wrong and the consequences of their actions. Then with the combination of school policies and parent influences, this is something that can be prevented in the future.
Kim M.
We all know the dangers of pulling information from the Internet without checking to see the validity of that information or website. Because anyone can post information on the Internet it is important for librarians to help mold the young generation of Internet dependent researchers into informed and discriminating Internet users. We can do this on a one on one basis when we help people with reference questions simply by letting them know why we trust some sites (.edu, .gov and, in some cases, .org) more than others. Another way to do this is by holding a program or class concerning research over the Internet. I think probably the best way to get the information to the kids is to work with the schools and visit the classrooms to demonstrate how to find good reliable sites.
This is an interesting article about a filter created by the Kansas library system. The filter supposedly only filters pornography, and no other benign websites. I am normally opposed to filters, but if this actually worked, I might be for it.
On the issue of freedom of information, which includes access to it, and filters, I think it is important to monitor and follow the applicable case law, which may change over time and which may conflict with the ALA Code of Ethics, and/or one's personal/professional views. If one disagrees with a court decision and is ready to challenge it that's fine. But it's always important to know what rights are being 'guaranteed' by law and legal precedent in order to make sure one's library is in compliance with the law.
The benefits of filters in schools definitely do not outweigh the drawbacks. Kids go to school to learn, the bottom line is that the filters have been shown to inhibit this process. In addition the filters violate the children’s Constitutional rights. Under the first amendment, pornography is protected speech. In concert with that the Supreme Court set a precedent for this kind of a case in 1969, Tinker v Des Moines. Though the case is not about internet filters or pornography the Supreme Court said this about Constitutional Rights afforded to public school students, “students do not shed their Constitutional Rights at the school house gates.” In so doing the court protected children’s right of freedom of speech in schools.
No one wants their children to go to school and look at porn all day. So what harm can come from some simple internet filters? Lynn Sutton, a Wayne State LIS grad, and now director of the academic library at Wake Forest University says this about the filters in her dissertation on the subject, “web-filtering software made researching term papers more difficult- forcing many students to complete assignments from home computers.” Her research found that 9 out of 10 sites on certain legitimate research topics like medical marijuana, smoking, and AIDS were blocked. The potent combination of these filters being unconstitutional and hindering our children’s education should at the very least merit some kind of reconsideration.
Lynn Sutton's articles are:
Barack, L. Filters Impede Learning. School Library Journal v. 51 no. 12 (December 2005) p. 24
and
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/sutton.pdf
I don’t think that filters are necessary in schools. In every school computer lab I have been in, all of the screens faced an administrator so it would be immediately apparent if a child were looking at inappropriate material. It would be simple for any school that does not already have this arrangement to convert to it. I realize that sometimes pornographic sites can be visited by mistake, so it would be important to teach children to make sure they have spelled a website’s name correctly before entering it in. Filters have many drawbacks, and it is insulting to give young adults an assignment then prohibit them from completing it due to filtering issues. I do admit, however, that I am not a parent and if I were perhaps my viewpoint would differ, but perhaps it would not.
In my opinion, librarians can help children and teens with determining if website information would be appropriate to include in scholarly research by having them to evaluate what type of website that they got the information from. According to Elizabeth Kirk “Evaluating Information on the Internet” website information that is provided by the government, academic institutions, and reputable businesses are usually good information to include in research. They also can evaluate the content by asking questions on whether the information is what they need and if so, can the information can be verified. Other resources on helping to evaluate internet website content are as follows:
•"How Academic Librarians Can Influence Students' Web-based Information Choices." OCLC's White Paper on the Information Habits of College Students, June 2002. http://www2.oclc.org/oclc/pdf/printondemand/informationhabits.pdf [01 Jul 2002]
•Oliver, Kevin. Evaluating the Quality of Internet Information. Virginia Tech. http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/kmoliver/webeval/webeval.html [17 October 2000].
•Oppenheimer, Todd. "The Computer Delusion." The Atlantic Monthly,July 1997. http://www.TheAtlantic.com/issues/97jul/computer.htm [9 July 1997]
•Ormondroyd, Joan and Michael Engle and Tony Cosgrave. "How to Critically Analyze Information Sources." http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm [21 December 1995]
•Pacifici, Sabrina I. "Getting It Right: Verifying Sources on the Net." http://www.llrx.com/features/verifying.htm [26 April 2002]
Speaking as a teacher, I definitely think that the benefits of filters outweigh the drawbacks. The reason I am glad our school has them is not so that students can surf safely, but so that there are less instructional distractions. For example, students using YouTube in the library during allotted research time was a huge problem. This was resolved when tech department blocked it using the filter. In my opinion, school computers are meant for instructional purposes and programs that allow us to ue them for this goal are generally good. On occasion, a student has had a legitimate research website blocked, and I will bypass the filter for that individual. In short, students don't need the freedom to explore whatever ideas they want when their teacher has directed them to use only a certain website.
While I do my best to help students become good researchers and identify credible website, misuse of the Internet in schools is more than just an intellectual freedom issue; it is an issue of use of instructional time and discipline.
Post a Comment