================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 59 ISSN 1069-7799 July 24, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (102 lines) WHITE HOUSE MEETING MAPS A FIRST AMENDMENT FRIENDLY STRATEGY FOR THE INTERNET _________________________________________________________________ WHITE HOUSE MEETING MAPS A FIRST AMENDMENT FRIENDLY STRATEGY FOR THE INTERNET ALA President Barbara Ford--along with leaders from the Internet industry, educators, children's advocates, and members of Congress--joined President Clinton and Vice President Gore July 16 at the White House for a historic meeting on a First Amendment friendly strategy for making the Internet safe and rewarding for children. The Administration supported the participants' three prong consensus strategy--wider availability of blocking and filtering tools for parents, stepped up enforcement of existing laws, and greater parental involvement and education on wise use of the Internet. "While technology may provide useful tools, it is equally important that families be empowered to make good choices on the Internet," Ford told the participants. "Most importantly, they need guidance to find sites that are of value to children. If the Net is our vehicle into the next century, librarians are the navigators." Ford unveiled "The Librarian's Guide to Cyberspace for Parents and Kids"--a comprehensive brochure and website combining Internet terminology, safety tips, website selection and more than 50 of the most educational and entertaining websites available for children. She explained that ALA intends to build that website into a dynamic Internet collection for children and parents with links to libraries around the country that have developed children's websites. The project was very well received by the meeting participants and was featured in a White House press release and in many news stories around the country. After the private meeting the participants joined other industry and organizational leaders, including ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom Director Judith Krug, as the President and Vice President announced the consensus strategy described by the President as a plan "to pave the way for a family friendly Internet without paving over the constitutional guarantees of free speech and expression." America Online CEO Steve Case and National PTA President Lois Jean White both spoke to endorse the common strategy, although White made clear that if industry failed to keep its commitment to work with parents, educators, and librarians in a common cause, new legislation may be "reluctantly" considered. The President stressed that the consensus reached at the White House was not an end to itself, but rather a first step toward building a family friendly Internet environment. The Administration's move to a non-censorship approach to the Internet came in the wake of the Supreme Court's unequivocal rejection of that approach in June by striking down the CDA. Before the decision the key plaintiffs in the case--led by ALA, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and America Online--worked with the White House to map a new cooperative course for making the Internet work for families without new censorship measures. Internet industry leaders, the National PTA, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Children's Defense Fund also participated in the discussions. A working summit will be held in Washington, D.C. in October to bring together a wide range of organizations to turn the three prong consensus strategy into an action plan. ALA is a cosponsor of the summit and will serve on its steering committee. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================