Greensboro City Attorney Gives Green Light to Block Internet Porn at Library

Imagine that!

City Council Wants Cheap Porn Block

Background

By unanimous vote on Monday, August 2, the Greensboro City 
Council directed the City Manager to come up with an economically 
viable and legal way to block access to pornography at the public 
libraries. 

At yesterday’s meeting of the Library Board of Trustees the Board 
voted unanimously to request Council’s approval of the library’s
 filtering option number two which states:

Implement a filter along with the existing computer 
management program to filter Internet access for all children 
and those adults who choose a filtered search.

__________________________________________________________________________

TO:                 Terry Wood, City Attorney

FROM:           James A. Dickens, Assistant City Attorney

                        SUBJECT:    When Providing Internet Access, 
Can Public Libraries Employ Software to 
Block Pornographic material that may be harmful to children? 

                                               

In sum, I conclude that the City may block obscene and 
pornographic images from internet websites in the public 
library, and the librarian is not legally required to allow 
adult patrons to view obscene or pornographic images in the 
public library.