DOPA Implications for School Libraries July 28, 2006
Posted by sbrisco in : Community , trackbackYALSA executive director Beth Yoke announced Wednesday the importance of contacting our US House Representatives asking them to oppose H.R. 5319 DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act). Within the past two days, she has also announced the ‘fast-track’ pace of the US Senate to move the bill forward.
What does DOPA mean to the school library? First of all, it would require that, as a condition of receiving E-Rate support, all schools and libraries block access to social networking websites and chat rooms. The ALA website sheds some implications to the school library such as:
1) Local school districts and libraries should determine what content should flow into schools and libraries. Federal mandate over content control is very problematic.
2) Districts and libraries already have the power to block access to social networking sites and chat rooms and a number of them have already done so.
3) DOPA imposes yet another burden on schools and libraries participating in the E-rate and may deter many from continuing to participate.
4) This bill paints an unflattering and distorted view of the Internet as a whole, serving to scare away parents, students, teachers and librarians from making use of all its resources.
In an election year we understand the seriousness of instant legislation created to gain immediate political support; however, the implications of DOPA would critically censor access to many social networks (communication) used within education by not just students, but also teachers, parents, and librarians.
Beth Yoke’s testimony before Congress shows examples of how students safely use online communities and social networking to take virtual field trips, participate in distance education courses, and provide disabled students with the opportunity to “physically” participate with their peers in a virtual environment that does not discriminate or exclude. Her statements, however, may have been in vain.
As we watch for next week’s move on DOPA by the Senate, it is IMPORTANT that school librarians help to educate others (including our legislators, administrators, parents, and teachers) of the implications of federal restrictions on the social networking. While we all want to provide Internet safety for our children, we should remember that restricting Internet access does not protect our children from ALL evils that lurk within our much smaller technological world.
Rather than restricting social networking, communications, and real-time connections with one another through the Internet, it our responsibility to teach students (and those who do not understand the educational opportunities in social networking) how to protect themselves, how to make good choices, and how to evaluate information, individuals, and ideas online. These are local responsibilities, not federal responsibilities.
To stay up-to-date on what’s happening, check the ALA Legislative Action Center and be sure to stay connected next week to read how to take immediate action. The ALA office will have a Legislative Advocacy Guide that will make contacting your Senator’s office easy, as well as a Social Networking Site Toolkit so you can help educate your coworkers and library users about the pros and cons of social networking sites, what DOPA may mean for them and how to stay safe on the Internet.
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And don’t forget Technorati’s feeds: DOPA
Resources that librarians can use to educate parents, youth and their Senators about social networking technologies can be found here: http://teentechweek.wikispaces.com