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I don't agree with the ALA on their position. However, a lot of libraries are concerned with what the local community thinks of them and the service they provide, and they get their funding mostly from the local community. So if you have concerns, you stand a good chance of keeping the library within bounds if you speak up about it. Our local library will not allow anyone underage to have access to the internet at all, unless the parents sign a permission form. The kids are completely barred from all access unless the parent says it is all right.

The library is definitely not a place to let children stay by themselves. Librarians are not babysitters, have no authority to discipline children. They also have no authority to prevent anyone from harming a child. In extreme circumstances, about all they can do is call the police and let them handle it. Even if someone comes in who is a known felon or a known sex offender [to the librarians] they cannot warn patrons in the library or prevent anything. They can only call the police after something happens.

In addition to concern for the type of material on the shelves and what kids could see on the internet, anyone can walk into the library. Sexual perverts, criminals, rapists, anyone. Homeless wanderers can hang out in there. It is an understatement, that that is not a safe place for a child to be on their own without their parents. Our library has a policy that requires young children to be with a supervising adult. If a parent drops a four year old off for story hour and takes off for exercise class, the parent would be in trouble.

I've heard a fair amount about this issue, but there's one thing I have not seen covered at all. Does the ALA have a position on libraries voluntarily using filtering software or policies like the one you describe? From what I've heard about them, they seem to be a pretty extreme left-wing group, somewhat akin to the NEA, so my inclination would be to think they are totally opposed to voluntary measures taken to keep kids away from inappropriate material on the Internet.

To be honest with you, I keep expecting to hear that the ACLU or the ALA has sent a kid into a library such as yours to try and visit porn sites. The purpose being, of course, to file a lawsuit "protecting" his 1st Amendment rights when the library doesn't allow him access to the smut.