Darkness fell. Doors closed. Lights went off.
The public library here became an attractive place for an unusual pattern of repeat break-ins.
When police finally caught the intruders, they learned that the boys, ages 13 and 15, didn’t go into the building to steal computers, books or equipment.
In fact, they didn’t want to steal anything.
Both gained access to the library for one purpose only: to view sexually explicit material on public computer terminals, said Police Chief Sam Christiansen.
Article from another newspaper
Another article on same story. Has some quotes from other people in the town.
Stick to investigating the crime
This means the police chief is a dumb-ass. Looking at sexually explicit material is not a crime — breaking and entering is.
He’s wrong. The perps should not have had access to the computers at all given that they were in a supposedly secure building. Plus, there is the issue of computer security inside the library. Isn’t the LAN password protected? If not, why not? If so, how’d the perps get the passwords?
Clueless Library?
From the information at http://www.co.saunders.ne.us/yutlib.htm Yutan’s Library is open very few hours. Why the computers are left on when the building is closed or not password protected has not been addressed. The internet filtering thread is a red herring here.
User based collection development
When these boys grow up they should be librarians. They are already into collection development. User based collection development.
Re:Stick to investigating the crime
Indeed, it matters not what they were looking at. The fact that they committed a felony to do it is more important.
Stop arguing the social construct of filters and put the little snots in juvenile detention. Let their parents worry about their dirty picture viewing habits, let the legal system deal with their breaking and entering habits.
Filters, please most 13 year olds can defeat a filter I must assume, especially when they are left alone to do it. I can see why it might keep people from looking at naked folks during the library’s open hours, but these kids had all the time in the world.
What a dilemma for the parents, the kids are using the library, but they are breaking in, they are expanding their knowledge, but looking at naked pictures.
On the bright side, they didn’t expose any puritans to porn!
Easy fix?
Filters are the hard fix. I see nothing in the articles about people (of any age) looking at porn on the internet during the hours the library is open.
The problem is people breaking into the library, therefore the easy fix is better security after hours. All of the libraries in my system have alarm systems that are on while we are closed. What a novel idea!