The library system reiterated this policy in February after a man was arrested and charged with possession of pornographic pictures of children he allegedly downloaded from an Internet terminal at Timberland's Centralia Library. Libraries need to train staff to recognize and deal with illegal and inappropriate behavior. North of Seattle, the Sno-Isle Regional Library System is also fighting Internet censors who want them to use blocking software to control the sites available over their Internet terminals. Seeing the letter, Oak Harbor resident Peggy Williams formally requested that the Sno-Isle Regional Library System Board restrict access to pornography available on the library's Internet terminals through use of a filter or blocking software. While there have been other complaints about the Internet at Oak Harbor, in the remaining 5 Sno-Isle libraries which have access Internet service has been well received.
Parents are responsible for determining the rules for their own children.
This statement mirrors the strong First Amendment stance taken by officials in Timberland. Both systems are working to incorporate in their Internet use policies strong statements against using the Internet for illegal activities, such as the printing or downloading of child pornography. Since 1994, King County Library System has had a policy on Internet use by minors which puts responsibility for restricting access in the hands of parents or guardians. But as Internet access has become more commonplace, and particularly with the addition of the graphic user interface more controversial, KCLS has continued internal discussion about how to maintain open access while addressing other concerns, particularly about children's access to inappropriate material. At the same time, KCLS, along with most area library systems providing Internet access, began providing Internet training for patrons.