Kids are fearless about trying new things on the computer - they are more technologically proficient than their parents. From the moment we had computers in our school, I learned more from kids than from my staff development training days. I, for one, fear that in our haste to find Internet solutions, we may be in danger of selling our children and their First Amendment rights as adults down the river. I also believe that time, experience and new advances in technology will address many of the concerns that have been raised. It's not news to say that millions of kids had a safe rewarding experience online today.
Many librarians are also parents.
We care deeply about children and as information professionals, are committed to addressing these concerns. When I first started my career some thirty years ago, the hot new technology was Xeroxing catalog cards. Public libraries are playing a critical role in closing the gap between the information rich and the information poor. Librarians were among the first to recognize the importance of this revolutionary new technology. Today, about three-fourths of all public libraries provide public access to the Internet.