Comments on: News from Mishawaka Library on Facebook Ban

By: eli

eli — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:10:33 +0000

Hastings Public Library (Michigan) filters out myspace and facebook for those under 12 years of age. Older patrons are able to utilize both sites freely.

By: John Kirriemuir

John Kirriemuir — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:34:16 +0000

There are so many things wrong with this statement:

” … the Library Board of Trustees is considering allowing access to Facebook on a trial basis … ”

Do Americans use the word ‘dither’, as that seems to be the case here? Patrons (taxpayers whose money fund the library) have to wait for the Trustees to meet, debate and consider. Then they *might* allow access. And if they do, just on a trial basis.

And that’s all assuming that one Trustee hasn’t read something in the low-brow press, or watched Fox News, about some isolated (and possibly inaccurate) negative happening on Facebook. At which point he/she will bring it up in the meeting as a reason for not using Facebook, and will find people in agreement who either:

- are scared of any kind of change (their issues)
- don’t want to do anything new (laziness)
- also naively believe anything they read in the “technology is bad” faction of the press (unfounded fair and subtle brainwashing)

Meanwhile, much of the rest of the world moves on …

By: Posts about Education as of March 31, 2009 | Tatuaj.org

Posts about Education as of March 31, 2009 | Tatuaj.org — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:19:48 +0000

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By: Shooting Ourselves in the Foot « La de da

Shooting Ourselves in the Foot « La de da — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:37:02 +0000

[...] News from Mishawaka Library on Facebook Ban [...]

By: Leah

Leah — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:10:12 +0000

I personally believe that censorship is a core belief of librarianship. Down to our librarian bones. Now censoring porn in a kids section is one thing. Not allowing people to use a valid communication/networking website is the most absurd, self defeating type of censorship. Policies like this drive people to use the internet at other locations, like a Starbucks, a Barnes and Nobles, an internet café. Heck even K-Mart has computers with internet access now! And guess which internationally popular and important tool they are allowed to access in those computers? Facebook isn’t just for chatting with friends. It’s for making connections. It is for networking. It is for checking in on your family. I hope these librarians and board members realize the error of their ways.