Social Networking and Libraries: Blocking SNS Prevents Learning

There are countless public, school, academic, and special libraries around the country that have taken it upon themselves to block social networking sites from their computers as a way of filtering the information that everyone from children to adults have access to. While this may seem to further a library's goal to keep their users focused on educational goals, it has actually proven to hinder their searches, especially when blocking social networking sites seeps into blocking of other important sites. This post discusses the importance of providing equal access to social media sites to all users and why it actually helps with education and user-retention.

Why Social Networking Sites Are Blocked. Ever since the Supreme Court upheld the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) more than a decade ago, filtering what some library users can view online has become a regular practice. Unfortunately, in the process of filtering, social networking sites get swept up by filtering software because the content found on these sites can be "objectionable." This has been seen as a necessary evil, if not altogether positive, for those locations using filtering software because it prevents people from viewing inappropriate content while at their facility. However, it has been a huge hindrance to the education of people of all ages and actually prevents library users from returning.

In Defense of Social Networks in Libraries. According to a report by the National School Boards Association, "nearly 60 percent of students polled said they use social networking sites to discuss 'education topics'" (20). Social networking sites are oftentimes a primary source of information for people of all ages because they spend so much time on these sites and follow pages they trust. Using filtering software usually means that social networking sites are banned, thereby preventing people who can't use a computer elsewhere, such as the homeless or poor, from communicating with others and discouraging users from returning. As Michael Stephens states, 

"The concept of Library 2.0 requires that we actively seek to break down barriers: barriers of place and time and barriers inherent in old school methods. In this user-centered paradigm, libraries must get information, entertainment, and knowledge into the hands of our users, wherever they are, by whatever means work best" (24).

Using filtering software and blocking social networking sites can actually infringe on users being able to view items and content that is protected by the First Amendment. For example, if someone is searching for information about breast cancer, some relevant sites may be blocked because of images deemed "obscene" or the repeated use of the word "breast." Not only should this information be made available to anyone that seeks it, but it's against the law for libraries to prevent people from accessing it. Though this may seem like a small, isolated issue, the consequences of blocking some websites and social media sites is far-reaching and unnecessary.

Works Cited

Barack, Lauren. "Social Media Buzz." School Library Journal, vol. 53, no. 12, Dec. 2007, p. 20. 

EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=lxh&AN=29360795&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Stephens, Michael. "The Read/Write School Library." School Library Journal, vol. 52, no. 12, Dec. 

2006, p. 24. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?

url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=23415958&site=ehost-

live&scope=site.