IL Libraries Shut Internet Service in Protest

Passage of a computer filtering law could divide rich and poor libraries

By Joan Oleck -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2007

At least eight Illinois public libraries shut down their Internet service in May and many others set computer filters at their highest levels to protest passage of an Internet filtering bill in the Illinois House that librarians say would drive a wedge between libraries in rich and poor areas.

“We’re trying to make a statement here: 'This is not working, guys,'” says Tamiye Meehan, president of the Illinois Library Association and a librarian at Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling, IL. Meehan was referring to a bill sponsored by Democratic State Representative Kevin Joyce, which would require filtering software on all library computers and call for the presence of an adult over the age of 21 to accompany any child who requests unfiltered computer use. If a library fails to comply, it would lose its state funds, currently $1.25 for every citizen in the library’s district.

Meehan says only about 40 percent of the public libraries in Illinois use filters, and most of them are on computers in children’s rooms, not in adult areas. On the other hand, about 98 percent of schools in the state use filters because they need federal funding under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

Illinois’ own version of CIPA threatens to divide rich and poor areas, Meehan adds, noting that, “Some libraries in more affluent areas have already said 'Forget it, we don’t need the money.'” In her own district, located 27 miles northwest of Chicago, Meehan’s library system would lose $83,000 in state funding if it refused to install filtering software. But, at the same time, she points out that her library would have to pay $3,000 each year for the filtering software and maintenance costs.

“For some of the smaller libraries, they can’t afford to lose their per capita nor can they afford to put on and maintain filters,” Meehan says.

Although the northern part of the state has well-funded libraries, there are areas farther south where some libraries only have an annual budget of $10,000 for book purchases. “There are libraries there that can’t afford health insurance for their librarians,” she says.

According to Meehan, the prime mover behind the new legislation is the Christian Right. And David Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, which works on public policy issues in the state, agrees.

“I strongly object to the fact that they’re using taxpayer facilities, resources, and time to lobby against a bill that is popular with parents and law enforcement officials,” Smith says. “Why are they willing to shut out patrons against using taxpayer-funded Internet computers to promote a pro-pornography access agenda but are unwilling to filter out degrading sexual images to protect the children and families they serve?”