We also provide classes to help teach children and parents about the Internet. In an information-rich society, librarians are information smart. About 80 percent of all public library funding is local, the programs are developed to be responsive to local requests, and the policies governing libraries are developed with local trustees and community members. Federal legislation robs libraries of local decision-making and control. More than 95 percent of public libraries have Internet-use policies that were created with community input.
Filters block access to critical, constitutionally protected speech related to many subject areas.
Filters have been shown to block access to medical information, political information and information related to the arts and literature. The focus on filters distracts attention and energy away from solving other online concerns. With more than 4 million new pages added to the Web every day, librarians are needed more than ever to cut through the information jungle and help lead library users to the best information sources - whether online or in print. It also is of concern what filtering companies are doing with data they collect. You don't know what you aren't getting.