The urge to protect children from accessing information that could be harmful to their emotional well being, is a natural one and not in dispute. The issue is, what information is harmful and who is to determine the guidelines.
History is replete with examples of guardians of moral rectitude and their efforts.
It is thought that the laws in place which deal with child pornography, obscenity and material deemed harmful to minors , should be enough to protect children. The reality of the situation is that librarians are caught between a rock and a hard place. The ALA Bill of Rights advocates complete freedom in access to information, modeled after the First Amendment to the Constitution. The ALA Bill of Rights is not law and as such offers no legal protection. The Senate bill being considered, H.R.1501, makes it clear that the climate is changing.