Fla. Librarian Suspended After Patrons Visit Porn Sites

[The Straight Story]

Fla. Librarian Suspended After Patrons Visit Porn Sites

VALPARAISO, Fla. -- A Florida Panhandle librarian has been suspended and may be fired by officials upset that a registered sex offender and three boys allegedly used the city library's computers to access pornographic Internet sites.

Sue Martin, head librarian at the Valparaiso Community Library, was suspended with pay and will receive a hearing within 60 days, City Attorney Doug Wyckoff said Thursday.

City Commissioner Robert Billingsley said he will ask the commission to dismiss Martin but declined to elaborate on why he thinks she failed to do enough to keep patrons from using the computers to find pornography.

Hard drives have been removed from the computers and the public has been prohibited from using them until further notice.

http://www.local6.com/news/4843803/detail.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Does this sound like an incipient move to deny internet access

at libraries?

The article implies a connection between the "registered sex offender and three boys" though there is nothing in the article that says there actually was any connection. Someone just reading the first paragraph would draw that conclusion.

Is there a law in FL outlawing the access of porn for sex offenders? Was that a violation of his probation -- it doesn't say that it was child porn that he accessed, just porn. How did they find out about it, anyway? DHS tracking internet access in libraries? I thought they were only looking for terrists.

The only venue left for the government to seize control of is the internet. This sounds like the opening shots.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. There is a law

that says librarians are to keep kids from accessing porn on the internet.

I don't know about sex offenders, but while kids are in the library, the library has to restrict and supervise their internet use.

[Bridget Burke]

4. Is it a State or Federal law?

Is it a felony or misdemeanor? Is the accused tried or just suspended from work on suspicion?

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. It's federal

It falls under child abuse laws.

There are also some new regs that came out as part of (or maybe because of) the Patriot Act. I am not a librarian but have several friends who are and this is a hot topic of discussion in their professional circles.

Sorry I don't know what the fine/punishment is. Maybe loss of professional certification?

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. According to the article

there is also a disclaimer by the library saying they can't always stop it. That it is the parents' responsibility. If that's the case, and the librarian made reasonable efforts to monitor the kids' use, why is the librarian in trouble?

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I'm sure it is a very fine line legally

and any parent who wants to push it and blame the librarian will be able to do just that.

[emdee]

3. The Librarians that I know....

don't care for the systems at all. It has changed their jobs completely. Patrons expect to be shown how to use the computer, first of all. And, parents expect them to monitor their children if they are online. The computers are not always in plain view of the librarian at all times.

As nice as they are, they have been a pain for the librarians. I cannot see holding them responsible for every minute someone else is using them. They cannot monitor each second of computer use.

emdee

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Note to those parents, Librarians are not free babysitters!

[jsamuel]

6. this is a can of worms

[Swamp Rat]

7. I say fire City Commissioner Robert Billingsley for being a shit head.

Just setting the pretext for taking away our rights.