LISNews: Librarian News

The Salt Lake City (UT) Tribune has a short Report on new filtering regulations.

The House Public Utilities and Technology Committee has unanimously approved a bill that would block state funding to any public library that does not restrict minors from accessing obscene material.
The sponsor, Rep. Marlon Snow, R-Orem, said the bill is intended to ensure that children are not viewing obscene material, intentionally or unintentionally, at the public library.

Amy Owen of the state Library Division said the Internet creates challenges for librarians, especially when balancing First Amendment rights to information and expression against community standards and obscenity laws.

\"When we think of the information highway, it\'s like 10 years ago we were driving horse and buggies and now we had plopped down the internal combustion engine, cars and highways,\" Owen said. \"We\'re still learning the rules of the road.\"