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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A pair of Los Angeles City Council members called today for software filters that block graphic material to be installed at all 73 city libraries, in the wake of reports of patrons viewing pornography on computers in view of children.
The motion introduced by David Ryu and Nury Martinez comes in response to a recent report by NBC4 that found some patrons use library computers to watch explicit porn that can easily be seen by other visitors, including children, and also uncovered widespread drug use and lewd behavior at some branches.
A second motion introduced by Ryu and Martinez requests that the Los Angeles Public Library, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department, report back on all security incidents at public libraries in 2017 and on how current security measures can be improved.
``Libraries are places of learning -- they are a place for communities to connect, for individuals to empower themselves with information, and for children to grow and explore. They are not a place for lewd content or behavior,'' Ryu said. ``Today's motion makes that clear. Reports of individuals using illegal drugs and viewing online pornography are wholly unacceptable. Our families and children deserve better.''
The City Council visited the issue of pornography at libraries in 2011, but ultimately decided that blocking specific content would possibly be a First Amendment violation and chose to direct libraries to install privacy screens on computers, as well as to reposition computers to create more private viewing.
The motion introduced by Ryu and Martinez -- neither of whom were on the council in 2011 -- called the privacy screens inadequate, and the NBC4 found that other patrons and children were still able to see screens with porn on them when standing or passing nearby. The Los Angeles TV station also reported that software filters are not 100 percent effective in blocking explicit rated material.
The city's head librarian in 2011 told the City Council he would oppose the installation of internet filters to block pornography on public library computers.
``I do think there's a potential to begin a path to being on a slippery slope,'' former City Librarian Martin Gomez told the council then. ``We think it's the responsibility of the parent to monitor the children's use of the library, including the collection, as well as their computer use.''
John Szabo, who has been the head city librarian since 2012, appears to have a different opinion than his predecessor. He told Channel 4 that the privacy screens ``aren't effectively dealing with it. There's certainly conversations about filtering, whether filtering software is an effective response.''
Councilman Paul Krekorian in 2011 said he disagreed with the decision to install privacy screens and move computers so that other patrons cannot easily view other screens.
``I'm completely unclear as to why we can't simply deal with this issue through filtering software rather than going in the step of providing a higher degree of privacy for pornography viewers. It just doesn't seem to make sense to me,'' Krekorian said at the time.