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This purpose of Internet Filtering for Libraries is to provide information needed by librarians considering filtering because they need to comply with CIPA or because they need to provide filtered access to some or all of their library computers.
I am a library technology consultant and library student. I developed an interest in filtering technology in 2001 when CIPA first reared its head. I've talked with many librarians about the filters they use and I am now working with filter companies to try to bring accurate information about their products to libraries.
I am also educating the filter companies about the unique needs of library users in hopes that some day there will be a filter product designed specifically for use in a public library.
I do not receive discounts or kickbacks of any kind from any filtering companies. My goal is to provide the information libraries so urgently need now that CIPA has been ruled constitutional, not to benefit financially from this unfortunate ruling.
My process for reporting on filter products is to gather the initial information from filter company representatives via an online survey. I have identified numerous filter companies by searching the web and by talking to individuals using filters in their library.
Once a company fills out the survey, I follow up with them to ensure that they understood the questions on the survey and that their answers are accurate and complete. I then seek additional documentation from the company representatives such as manuals, screen shots and in some cases, demo copies of their software.
The next step of the process is to verify the data provided to me by the filtering companies with users of their software. Each filter company is asked to provide references, ideally from a library using their product. I interview users to find out more about the product and how it is used in the library setting and verify that the answers that have been provided are accurate.
Finally, all the information I've gathered is published to the web so that librarians or anyone else looking to compare filtering products can compare them feature by feature.
You may also want to visit my weblog where filtering issues are frequently discussed.
I hope you find it useful,
©2005 libraryfiltering.org
©2005 by Lori Bowen Ayre: Some rights reserved. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all original material on this website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.