They need to learn critical viewing and information skills that will help them make good judgments about the information they encounter. Simply blocking offensive and unwanted content will not teach students those critical skills. Librarians believe that there are many other ways that can be employed to help children make wise and responsible use of the Internet. Librarians provide training for children, parents and teachers on appropriate Internet use. Almost all employ local Internet use policies for children and other library users which establish the rules for appropriate behavior in libraries or schools when using online resources.
Librarians provide guidance on how to assess the value and reliability of Internet resources.
The American Library Association, for example, has developed Families Connect, which provides on line classes developed by the American Association of School Librarians that teach Internet basics, safety, and other recommendations for making the most of Internet resources. In Tucson, several libraries provide Internet classes for the public on a weekly or monthly basis. Most important, librarians assure safe and positive online experiences for children through guidance to sites that are educational, entertaining and valuable based upon each child's needs. In addition to providing direct advice and guidance to children seeking to research particular topics or find certain information, many individual libraries as well as the American Library Association have developed children's web sites and home pages that lead children directly to the best the Internet has to offer. Notwithstanding the many concerns about the use of filtering, some communities have made the judgment to install blocking software in libraries.