ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 9, Number 73
September 14, 2000

In this issue:
	Talking Points on Filtering and Appropriations for Labor-HHS 
FY2001 Budget

As Congressional conferees remain behind closed doors during 
negotiations on the Labor-HHS FY2001 appropriations bill (H.R. 
4577) with the attached filtering amendments, library advocates 
may receive increased inquiries about filtering and related 
issues.  Such inquiries could also be generated if 
blocking/filtering issues become part of debates in local 
congressional campaigns in the coming weeks. 

This is a reminder to library supporters that ALA has provided an 
INTERNET TOOLKIT on its web site at: 
http://www.ala.org/pio/internettoolkit/index.html for guidance and 
suggested talking points when library supporters receive inquiries 
about filtering or about ALA's policies.  Regardless of one's 
local circumstance, there are a number of talking points and other 
suggested tips in the TOOLKIT that can prove helpful to local 
librarians and library supporters.

For example, the INTERNET TOOLKIT provides a series of FAQ's about 
libraries and the Internet.  One of the FAQ's and a suggested 
response in the TOOLKIT is:

"Why do librarians allow kids to have access to pornography? 

We don't. Libraries have policies and procedures for dealing with 
this. No one is more concerned about children than librarians. 
Many of us are parents. Our role is to help children have a 
positive online experience."

Tips for dealing with tough questions from library users or others 
include:
* Listen-don't judge. Anticipate which questions you will be asked 
and prepare your answers ahead of time;
* Be honest. Tell the truth as you know it. "My experience with 
the Internet is. . . ." ; and
* It's not just what you say but how you say it. Speak simply, 
sincerely, and with conviction. 

Library advocates are asked to E-mail their Congressional 
legislators and ask them to remove all filtering mandates from the 
Labor, Health, Human Services and Education appropriations bill 
(H.R. 4577) as outlined in an earlier ALAWON alert available at: 
http://www.ala.org/washoff/filteringmandate.html.  Each individual 
representative or senator can let his/her leadership in the budget 
negotiations know that federal filtering mandates are not the 
answer to a very complex question. Key message points on this 
legislative language include:

a) Federal filtering mandates are unfunded mandates;
b) Federal mandates trample on the decision making 
responsibilities and capabilities of local library and school 
boards;
c) Federal filtering mandates are a one-size-fits-all, overly 
broad solution to a complex and local problem; and
d) Federal mandates will have the most profound effect on those 
libraries which most need E-rate discounts and other funding.

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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, 
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web 
site: http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily 
Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, 
Director; Mary Costabile, Peter Kaplan, Miriam Nisbet and 
Claudette Tennant. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick 
Weingarten, Director; Jennifer Hendrix, Carrie Russell and Saundra 
Shirley. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.