Infopeople Webcast Series

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Infopeople Webcast Series

• Technology Tuesdays
• Internet Filters

Infopeople is supported by the U.S. Institute of
Museum and Library Services under the provisions
of the Library Services and Technology Act,
administered in California by the State
Librarian. Any use of this material should credit
the author and funding source.
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Internet Filtering What Have You Done For Me
Lately?

• Tuesday, January 13, 2004
• 12 Noon to 1pm

Presenter Lori Bowen Ayre LBAyre_at_galecia.com
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Technical Housekeeping

• No handouts, just PPT and libraryfiltering.org
• Use Chat window to ask questions or post to group
• Click IM button to send a private message
• For technical problems, send IM to HorizonHelp
• Evaluation pops up during QA please fill it out
• Webcast is being archived will be available on
  Infopeoples website tomorrow

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Agenda for Today

• Review
• filtering basics
• CIPA
• Features all libraries need
• accurate and customizable block lists
• flexible and easy-to-use override features
• informative block page
• feedback mechanism
• Other features needed if using categories

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Some Filtering Basics

• Filters block access to a web page based on rules
• Same rule can apply to all users single block
  list, or
• Different rules can be applied to different
  groups of users (filter profiles)
• Administrator creates filter profiles by
  selecting categories of content to block for each
  group

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CIPA and E-Rate

• The Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
  mandates that anyone receiving E-Rate discounts
  on their Internet access costs must filter all
  their computers, including staff computers.

install a technology protection measure that
protects against visual depictions of material
that is obscene, child pornography or harmful to
minors
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Library Bill of Rights

• Libraries should challenge censorship in
  fulfillment of their responsibility to provide
  information and enlightenment.
• Libraries should cooperate with all persons and
  groups concerned with resisting abridgment of
  free expression and free access to ideas.
• A person's right to use a library should not be
  denied or abridged because of origin, age,
  background or views.

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Rocks and Hard Places

• I am not pro- filter
• I am not anti-filter
• I am anti-CIPA
• I am attempting to help libraries find the best
  spot for them between the rock and the hard place

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Libraries Have Three Choices

• Minimally filter everyone
• Filter all computers but use different filter
  profiles for groups of library users
• Give up E-Rate discounts and do whatever you want
  to do

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Filter Features Important to All Libraries

• Flexible and easy-to-use override features
• Informative block page
• Accurate and customizable block lists
• Feedback mechanism for patrons

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If minimally filtering all users the same

• Do not need an expensive filter
• dont need multiple filter profiles
• Do need access to a reliable block list
• list should be viewable
• monitoring overblocks less problematic
• fewer override requirements
• may not need to offer disable filter option if
  only blocking illegal content

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If Filtering Users Differently

• Will undoubtedly use categories
• will be blocking content way beyond CIPA
  requirements
• requires greater oversight
• requires ability to modify how sites are
  categorized
• Do need a feature-rich filter
• more overrides will be necessary
• must be able to disable filter
• need good reporting tools

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Additional Features Needed If Using Content
Categories

• Greater flexibility in handling overrides
• Ability to disable filter
• Good reporting tools for monitoring blocks
• Ability to re-categorize URLs

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Features Well Discuss Today

• Flexible and easy-to-use override features
• Ability to disable filtering
• Informative block page
• Feedback mechanism for patrons
• Accurate and customizable block lists
• Good reporting tools for monitoring blocks
• Ability to re-categorize sites

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Overriding a Blocked Page

• Important to correct erroneously blocked sites
• Must be done immediately, not in a couple days
• Any staff person should be able to do it from
  patrons workstation

• Every library must be able to override a blocked
  site on the fly

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How Override Features Are Implemented

• Send in request electronically
• Warn
• Temporary password for patron
• Password Override
• Block page
• System tray (like WinSelect)

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Send Override Request
Message typed in by user requesting override May
go to local admin or filter company

• If local admin
• Adds computer to no-filter group, or
• Adds site to never block list, or
• Re-categorizes site (requires review)
• If filter company.come back tomorrow

Advantage request can be anonymous
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Warn

• Patron can override their own blocked site
• Filters can record overrides for later review by
  staff

Sorry! The content of this URL is currently
blocked. http//www.teenc.com/ is rated as
nudity,pornographyIf you require further
assistance, please contactthe PC reservation
clerk or Click Here to Override
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Temporary Password for Patron

• How it works batch of passwords available to
  distribute to patrons upon request
• Advantages less involvement for staff, more
  privacy for patrons
• Disadvantage managing a new batch of passwords
  each day can get messy

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Password Override

• Easiest for Staff
• Can sometimes control more than single page
  overrides, including disabling filter
• Disadvantage requires patron to ask
• site must be bad so patron discouraged from
  asking
• eliminates possibility of remaining private

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Duration and Extent of Override

• Duration
• preset for all overrides, or
• can be set on the fly
• Apply override to
• page
• category
• all blocking (effectively disabling filter)

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Example of Flexible Override
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Ability to Disable Filtering

• Flexible password override features can allow
  staff to disable filtering
• If not,
• staff logs out Patron and logs them in under
  unfiltered profile or
• administrator changes patron or computer to
  unfiltered status

Avoid products that require staff to track down
the filter administrator every time a patron
wants unfiltered access!
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What About Passive Filtering?

• Welcome to Happyvale Public Library
• These computers are filtered. Heres our AUP.
• No illegal anything, etc

If you are an adult and you agree to the AUP, you
may choose to browse the Internet unfiltered by
clicking the appropriate button below.
AGREE no filters please
AGREE but keep filters on
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Passive Filtering So Far Not Permitted

• Welcome to Happyvale Public Library
• These computers are filtered. Heres our AUP.
• No illegal anything, etc

If you are an adult and you agree to the AUP, you
may choose to browse the Internet unfiltered by
clicking the appropriate button below.
AGREE no filters please
AGREE but keep filters on
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Passive Filtering Tips

• Limit passive filtering options to adults
• Require patrons to sign Internet Use Agreement
  stating
• a) they have read, understand and
• agree to IUP
• b) the have selected unfiltered access
• Annually renew the agreement

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Risks of Noncompliance

• It is unlikely that any library will be found
  noncompliant because the FCC
• is not proactively checking for CIPA compliance
• is counting on community "concern" to serve as a
  key mechanism to enforce compliance
• stated they cannot determine if an image is
  obscene

Having a policy in place to address complaints
can help minimize any possibility of more formal
legal action.
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Feedback Mechanism for Patrons is Important

• the library belongs to the community

• the library wants to avoid complaints to Board or
  FCC

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How to Get Feedback

• Place Request Review of Website Categorization
  on block page
• message may go to library or filter company
• Involve community in filtering decisions
• AUP and filter strategy
• website category reviews
• analyze logs
• Filter Feedback Forms

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Respond to Feedback

• Filter Feedback Form
• ? Im generally happy with how filtering works in
  the library but ________________________________
  _________________________________________
• ? Im generally unhappy with how filtering works
  in
• the library because__________________________
  _________________________________________
• ? Please add this site _________________________
• to the ? Never Block ?Always Block
  list.
• ? Let me know what you decide____________________
  
• (provide your name,
  phone and/or email)

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Access Denied The Block Page
The block page is patrons first encounter with
the filter

• Provide information about why page was blocked
• Let them know their options

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A Very Bad Block Page
Not Found The requested URL /hotpics.html was not
found on this server.
Apache/1.3.14 Server at www.lustybabes.com Port
80
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A Very Good Block Page
Access to Page Denied
This page is blocked based on the librarys
Internet Use Policy (IUP).
Read IUP
http//allabouteve.com is rated as sexually
explicit.
For immediate access to this page, contact any
library staff.

• Click here if you believe the site has been
  erroneously blocked and we
• will review it.

Please Review
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Considerations for the Block Page

• How can patrons provide feedback if they dont
  know they were blocked?
• How can patrons know if
• block was in error if they
• dont know category or URL?
• Make it possible to get to
• IUP from block page
• Allow everyone to contribute feedback make
  anonymous feedback possible

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Using Categories

• Filter companies classify websites into content
  categories
• Library chooses content categories to block
• Cannot see URLs in each category
• Cannot be sure how a site has been or will be
  categorized

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Librarians are Information Professionals
Using a filter with content categories amounts to
outsourcing the cataloging job
Your Choice
maintain your own lists
monitor the work of your subcontractor closely
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Category Related Responsibilities

• Managing categories
• Monitoring accuracy of filter
• Overriding and disabling filter

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Ability to Re-categorize URLs

• Minimal Requirement
• ability to move URLs to always allow or always
  block categories
• Better
• ability to create new categories
• ability to move URLs to a different category

Pornography Sex Education William
College Sex Sexuality
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Good Reporting Tools for Monitoring Blocks

• Minimal Requirement
• ability to view URLs blocked and the category
  that caused the block
• Better
• robust reporting tools

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Examples of Reports

• URLs Visited By Category
• Blocked Sites By Category
• Top External URL Hits
• Top Internal URL Hits
• Search Engine Queries
• Instant Messaging for All Users

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Reports and Logs - Tips

• Before choosing a filter
• Make sure you know if reporting is included in
  price and if there are any additional hardware or
  software requirements
• Use them to analyze accuracy of filter
• Use them to learn about communitys interests
• Every daypurge information that links activity
  logs to patrons identity
• IP address sign-in list time patron
  identity
• Generate summary reports for analysis

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Ways to Maintain Your Own Lists

• Use always allow and always block lists
  instead of relying on filters categories
• If filter allows for creating new categories,
  build your own CIPA list
• Use lists compiled by other information
  professionals coordinate and share

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How to Use Always Lists

• Always Allow
• .edu and .gov sites
• get lists of good sites from reliable sources
• LII
• Internet Public Library
• Gary Price
• Always Block
• Get lists of sites to block from reliable sources
• Share URLs with other libraries
• Find sites in your own log files

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Using and Sharing Lists

• Must use a filter that can import free text lists
  
• Squidgard
• WebMarshall
• Use available sources of such lists
• URLBlacklist.com
• University of Toulouse
• Or, use a product that doesnt hide URLs so you
  can modify list as needed

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Advantages of Single CIPA List

• Cheaper
• not paying for categories and features you dont
  need
• Easier for staff
• no filter profiles to manage
• fewer overrides
• same filter policy applies to everyone
• Better match for libraries who better to decide
  what fits into CIPA category?

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Hybrid Approach

• minimal blocking for everyone using your own
  block list
• try to match to CIPA mandate, or
• block as little content as appropriate for
  community
• illegal pornography
• add a kids blocking program on kids computers
  only

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Next Webcast Product Highlights and Lowlights

• Well review specific filters on the market today
• Before then, please visit
• libraryfiltering.org
• Bring questions!