Introduction – John Felton, NLC. One of the opportunities available to assist libraries in supporting their broadband connectivity costs is applying for E-rate discounts on internet service. This necessitates complying with the requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) by filtering internet access. In this session we will hear about what CIPA actually requires, about the issues a library director must deal with when deciding to filter internet access, about how filtering can be accomplished with low cost, and about the results of a survey completed by Nebraska libraries that have installed a filter. CIPA: Myths vs. Reality – Christa Burns, NLC, will clear up some of the misconceptions about CIPA and how it relates to E-rate. Filtering Internet Content – Pam Soreide, Holdrege Area Public Library, & George Matzen, Webermeier Memorial Library. Participants in this session will leave with a sense of what factors should be considered in the decision whether or not to filter Internet content at public workstations. Discussion will include patron perceptions and management issues.

1. Internet Filtering In Libraries