Woman Wants Porn-Watching At Library Stopped
POSTED: 4:28 pm EST November 12, 2007
UPDATED: 5:43 pm EST November 12, 2007
<SCRIPT src="/js/13260191/script.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><LINK href="/css/13260803/style.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet><!--startindex-->GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Dozens of Gwinnett County residents will be voicing their concerns about porn on library computers. They say the county isn’t doing enough to block sexually explicit material and protect their children.
During Ruth Hardy’s last trip to the Collins Hill branch library she got more than just books. She got mad at what she saw a man watching on his computer. “It looked like she was having sex there on the computer screen,” said Hardy.
Hardy said a 10-year-old was sitting next to the man watching pornography. Now, Hardy and several other Gwinnett County residents are asking the library’s board to strengthen their filters and have the staff intervene.
“It angers me. I’m paying for that. The rest of the county is paying for that as well. I consider it a G-rated place, a kid-friendly place,” said Hardy.
Library officials said their filter system can’t block everything because users can go to an acceptable site then go to a link. Channel 2 was told library staff is not allowed to intervene when they see what may be sexually explicit pictures or video on library computers.
“We have over 200 people in branches who are responsible for customer service and as you can imagine, you might have a different opinion what’s objectionable that I do, so we have chosen not to put our staff in that position,” said Rhonda Boyd with the Gwinnett County Public Library.
Library officials said they’ve taken all the necessary precautions and cannot control what a child may see.
"Parents, if you're concerned about what your children see in the library, not just on the Internet or what they do in the library, the library's a public place. And so we do have to ask parents to take some responsibility,” said Boyd.
"I feel like Gwinnett has not taken that step at all to protect the children and they are hiding behind their policy,” said Hardy.
Hardy wants Gwinnett County to require written parental permission or adult supervision for children to use the Internet like other counties do. Libary officials said they are always trying to find a balance between constitutionally protected material and protecting children.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14575636/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=news&gg=true
POSTED: 4:28 pm EST November 12, 2007
UPDATED: 5:43 pm EST November 12, 2007
<SCRIPT src="/js/13260191/script.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><LINK href="/css/13260803/style.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet><!--startindex-->GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Dozens of Gwinnett County residents will be voicing their concerns about porn on library computers. They say the county isn’t doing enough to block sexually explicit material and protect their children.
During Ruth Hardy’s last trip to the Collins Hill branch library she got more than just books. She got mad at what she saw a man watching on his computer. “It looked like she was having sex there on the computer screen,” said Hardy.
Hardy said a 10-year-old was sitting next to the man watching pornography. Now, Hardy and several other Gwinnett County residents are asking the library’s board to strengthen their filters and have the staff intervene.
“It angers me. I’m paying for that. The rest of the county is paying for that as well. I consider it a G-rated place, a kid-friendly place,” said Hardy.
Library officials said their filter system can’t block everything because users can go to an acceptable site then go to a link. Channel 2 was told library staff is not allowed to intervene when they see what may be sexually explicit pictures or video on library computers.
“We have over 200 people in branches who are responsible for customer service and as you can imagine, you might have a different opinion what’s objectionable that I do, so we have chosen not to put our staff in that position,” said Rhonda Boyd with the Gwinnett County Public Library.
Library officials said they’ve taken all the necessary precautions and cannot control what a child may see.
"Parents, if you're concerned about what your children see in the library, not just on the Internet or what they do in the library, the library's a public place. And so we do have to ask parents to take some responsibility,” said Boyd.
"I feel like Gwinnett has not taken that step at all to protect the children and they are hiding behind their policy,” said Hardy.
Hardy wants Gwinnett County to require written parental permission or adult supervision for children to use the Internet like other counties do. Libary officials said they are always trying to find a balance between constitutionally protected material and protecting children.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14575636/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=news&gg=true