This is both troubling and tricky ~ I see it as censorship, and I am anti censorship ~ but I understand why some sites might be blocked from children ~ Sooz

Missouri public library blocks websites about ‘occult' spirituality
By Eric W. Dolan
Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Salem Public Library in Missouri along with its board of trustees face a lawsuit for blocking access to websites discussing indigenous American spirituality and the Wiccan faith

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of Salem resident Anaka Hunter, who was unable to access websites pertaining to the religions for her own research.

Hunter brought the blocked websites to the attention of Salem Library Director Glenda Wofford, but Wofford responded there was nothing she could do about the websites, which were blocked by the library's filtering system. Wofford said she would only allow access to blocked sites if she felt patrons had a legitimate reason to view the content and further said that she had an “obligationâ€

Aww...give 'em a break!  It is after all the Bible belt...I'm surprised the library even is connected to the worldly internet! (intended as sarcasm)  I think Library Director Wolford's response that she has to judge the "legitimacy" of the reasons a patron might want to view the blocked sites reeks of arrogance and holier than thou-ness...sounds like there may be a reason the town calls itself Salem...and Hunter might be wise to get the h*** out of that town!

The Bible-thumping Party of Hate and Fear is afraid of a little competition?

Gee... I'll bet patrons can access sites about guns.

When MSN chat was still active and I lived with my brother, I didn't have internet access. I used the library computers at first and then they blocked chat completely! I was livid. I told them that they could, at the request from an adult unblock it from a specific computer, but they refused. Their rationality was that children were too vulnerable. I had withdrawal symptoms, lol. I could access chat from a friends on occassion, but it wasn't the same and happened very rarely.

lol Sid, but......but........guns are good.  I'll bet there are plenty of fringe sites available, bomb making 101, white supremists, and such. 

It's a "War on Occult"! How dare they?

[i]The Netsweeper filtering software used by the library classifies websites as “adult image,â€

No kidding jim. I'll just bet they can access Westboro Baptist Church site.............we could go on and on about the "dangerous" material available on the web.  Maybe they should go back to the old Apple computers with the floppy disk learning programs for children and cancel their internet.