[12797] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: A Filtering Survey
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Mon Mar 29 20:09:49 1999
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 13:09:43 -0600
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
2 Messages, 256 Lines
*-----
From: Dan Robinson Indexing Services <drobinson@info.hwwilson.com>
Maybe we've been taken in and the survey is not really measuring
filtering/censorship at all. Maybe it's measuring something like
response to biased surveys.
Dan Robinson
drobinson@hwwilson.com
On 25 Mar 99 at 13:54, Public-Access Computer System wrote:
> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 09:18:18 -0500
> From: Howard Pasternack <Howard_Pasternack@brown.edu>
> Subject: Re: A filtering survey
> While I am against filtering, I am also against shoddy library research.
> This questionnaire is highly biased. I don't know what the "thesis" in the
> opening paragraph refers to, but hopefully it is not sponsored by a library
> school.
>
> Take a look at question 5A about "using filter software to censor the
> Internet". Nowhere does this questionnaire ask whether the respondent's
> library uses filtering software and if so, why it uses filtering software.
> Or which of the reasons the respondent agrees with.
>
> Or the phrasing in question 7 which assumes that the filtering software
> blocks access to legitimate research and requires the respondent to answer
> negatively.
>
> I don't want to start filtering debates on this listserv. But I would hope
> that any questionnaire which tries to survey librarians opinions on this
> topic does so objectively.
>
> Howard Pasternack
> Brown University
>
>
> At 02:52 PM 3/23/99 -0600, you wrote:
> >----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >>Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 14:54:48 -0500
> >>To: pubyac@nysernet.org
> >>From: Kris Kepler <kristen@ccsd.edu>
> >>Subject: A filtering survey
> >>
> >>>Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:12:56 -0500
> >>>To: pubyac@nysernet.org
> >>>From: Kris Kepler <kkepler@ccsd.edu>
> >>>Subject: A filtering survey
> >>>
> >>>>Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 07:59:55 -0500
> >>>>To: pubyac@nysernet.org
> >>>>From: Kris Kepler <kristen@ccsd.edu>
> >>>>Subject: A filtering survey
> >>>>In-Reply-To: <602d1a95.36f06ab3@aol.com>
> >>>>
> >>>>I would really appreciate if you could take the time to fill out a
> >questionnaire, all of your input would help a great deal! TIA!
> >>>>
> >>>>For our thesis, we are researching the existence of censorship in
> >libraries. Censorship includes Internet filtering, book banning, and
> >restriction of materials. The results from this survey will support or
> >negate our hypothesis. All responses will be kept confidential, but
> >results of the survey will be available to you if you ask.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>Questionnaire:
> >>>>
> >>>>1. What type of library do you serve? (i.e. school media center,
> >public, academic, etc.)
> >>>>
> >>>>____________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>2. Are you male or female?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Male ______Female
> >>>>
> >>>>3. In what type of community does your library function?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Rural _______Suburban _______Urban
> >>>>
> >>>>4. Does your library have Internet access?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Yes ______No
> >>>>
> >>>>If no, skip to #12.
> >>>>
> >>>>5a. Does your library use filtering software to censor the Internet?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Yes ______No
> >>>>
> >>>>5b. Do you agree with this?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Yes ______No
> >>>>
> >>>>If you answered no to 5a, skip to #10.
> >>>>
> >>>>If you answered yes to 5a, what are the reasons your library uses an
> >Internet filter? (Please list in order of importance.)
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>6. Which filter do you use?
> >>>>
> >>>>___________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>7. In your opinion, how often has legitimate research been blocked
> >because of an Internet filter?
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Frequently
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Sometimes
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Almost Never
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Never
> >>>>
> >>>>8. What are some examples of searches that you or a patron were blocked
> >from?
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>9. Are you able to override the filter if necessary?
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Yes _______No
> >>>>
> >>>>10. Have you ever witnessed a patron accessing pornographic material in
> >your library?
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Yes _______No
> >>>>
> >>>>11. Does your library have an acceptable use policy?
> >>>>
> >>>>_______Yes _______No
> >>>>
> >>>>If no, skip to #12.
> >>>>
> >>>>If yes, what are it's major components?
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>12. Have any legal challenges been made to any material, print or
> >non-print, in your
> >>>>library?
> >>>>
> >>>>______Yes ______No
> >>>>
> >>>>If yes, what was/were the material(s)?
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>__________________________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>>13. What was the outcome of the challenge?
> >>>>
> >>>> _______Censored _______Restricted
> >______Uncensored
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>Additional Comments:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>Thank You!
> >>Please reply to kkepler@ccsd.edu
*-----
From: Dan Lester <dan@84.com>
>From: Kris Kepler <kristen@ccsd.edu>
>Dear Mr. Pasternack,
> I apologize if you were offended by our survey, but that was not our
>intent at all!
Howard did NOT say he was offended. He stated that it was "shoddy library
research", with which I completely agree. Having spent several years
working as an independent consultant in survey research and statistical
analysis, including having given statistical assistance to over thirty
doctoral candidates in the social and behavioral sciences, all of whom
successfully earned their Ph.D.s, I concur completely with Mr. Pasternack's
assessment. If your research is for a graduate thesis, or even a course
requirement, in one of the graduate library or education schools in your
area, I'm embarrassed for the school. If the design was approved by a
faculty member, that faculty member needs to go back and learn the basics
of research methodology. If the design was not reviewed by a faculty
member, it should have been; I've never heard of a graduate school that
allowed surveys to be disseminated before they were approved by faculty.
>We do not feel that this survey is biased at all.
Well, that shows the naivete or lack of design knowledge of those
involved. I'm sorry you don't understand that. Competent survey design is
not based on feelings.
> We have received a lot of wonderful, objective surveys in our research
>and
>we hope more people will respond to our survey.
You may be pleased with the response, but not reputable statistician or
research designer would consider them objective (even if they are
wonderful) due to the flaws in the survey instrument.
> Our goal is to prove or negate that filters and censorship occurs more
>often in school library media centers, but we want to hear from all
>librarians.
Survey research can prove nothing. Ever. Period. And you say that you
want to "prove or negate" that this happens "often". Well, we will all
agree that some places filter and some don't. What percentage does it take
to decide that filtering happens "often"? 5%? 20%? 50%? 90%? And, the
readership of this mailing list is hardly a random sample of school library
media centers anyway. The readers of this list are certainly more
technically savvy than the average librarians of the country. And, were I
to hypothesize on the conditions in school library media centers, I would
propose that filtering is much more common in those SLMCs that are outside
of this select group.
By the way, I too, am opposed to filtering of ANY sort for adults, but also
am realistic enough to understand that filtering is a political necessity
in a great many school districts.
Finally, I was amazed to note that your school district in New City somehow
managed to get an ".edu" domain, which are supposed to be granted ONLY to
four year post-secondary institutions. Perhaps the fact that the even
applied for one says something about your environment as well.
Good luck in your future endeavors.
dan
--
Good, Fast, and Cheap: Which two of the three would you like?
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
dan@84.com http://www.84.com/ http://www.idaholibraries.org/
http://library.boisestate.edu/ http://www.lili.org/ http://www.postcard.org/
