I visited a public library in Austin and found their internet filter blocking more than expected

Last Tuesday I stopped by the downtown Austin library to print some forms for my daughter's school registration. But when I tried to open a legal aid website that offers tenant rights information, the library's filter blocked it as 'reference materials.' That struck me as odd since the library is supposed to be a free information space. I asked the librarian about it and she said they use a state-required filter that flags certain keywords, even on non-pornographic sites. Turns out this filter also blocked a local union's event page and a voter registration FAQ. What's the point of a public library if its internet can't serve basic civic information? Has anyone else run into this kind of over-blocking at their local library system?

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1 Comment

black.amy1d ago

Filters always seem to catch way more than they should, it's a known thing with that state software. You can usually ask the librarian to whitelist a specific page for you, they have the override keys at the desk. Also worth checking if your city has a separate public computers policy, sometimes they have a couple of unfiltered stations that bypass the nonsense entirely.