The Library Board felt the software was necessary because children would be using the Internet on library computers, potentially giving them access to sexually explicit materials. Internet filtering at libraries has caused debate throughout the country. Legislators have tried to mandate it, and the American Library Association has declared itself opposed. Here, however, the library's system has brought little public notice. Library board President Kerry Spradlin said Martin's complaint is the first she's received since the system was implemented.
Users raise issues about filtering two or three times a week, library employees say.
And in most instances, they are complaining about Web sites that they feel should not be blocked, said Catherine Gibson, manager of adult services. Library officials here say the Indianapolis system is different because it is merely an Internet implementation of the library's policy for the rest of its collection of books, magazines and other items. That's one reason the library picked SmartFilter, from Secure Computing Corp., which targets corporations and other organizations for its services, not individual users. The database is updated weekly. The Indianapolis library invokes only two of the categories - sex and chat.