An Information Technology Librarian at Lake Oswego, Oregon, Burt began the nonprofit Filtering Facts, an organization that promotes the acceptability of filtering in libraries. Burt claims that ALA is silencing the filter debate. Burt sees filters as the key to controlling access to pornography. Also, Burt questions the findings of Internet Filter Assessment Project. He says ALA makes too much of the instances where filters block non-objectionable material.
Libraries rely on site-based blocking.
Filters block sites related to sex education, AIDS information, gay rights and abortion. Better filters break down banned sites by subject, and allow unblocking a site which has been incorrectly blocked. Although not perfect, they do a good job of filtering. Filtering does involve turning over selection of materials to outsiders, but libraries have relied on vendors to pre-select for years. It makes sense that vendors do not want to turn over valuable site lists.