Remember how some people are really convinced that kids are watching tons of porn at the library? And how that's not actually the case, like, at all*? Well, turns out a few Councilmen didn't get the message, and they'reintroducing a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to watch porn within 100 feet of a child in a public library.
Council Members David G. Greenfield and Eric Ulrich were spurred to sponsor the bill "to protect minors from sexual predators who are accessing pornography on the Internet in full view of children," after New York's public libraries supposedly "refused to use Internet filters to block pornographic websites from view." But we could have sworn that the library's computers are fitted with privacy screens and do have a filter, one that's so strong it actually sometimes blocks even non-porn websites by accident!
Furthermore, "I have had a number of outraged constituents call me about their children encountering perverts viewing pornography in full view of library patrons," claims Councilman Greenfield. We're still awaiting comment from the Brooklyn libraries, but Queens Library spoksewoman Joanne King says the libraries receive "so few complaints about this issue that it's practically nonexistent," echoing similar feedback made by the NYPL.
What's next, Councilmen? Taking art books off of shelves because they show a bit of nipple? "l am a strong supporter of our public libraries and the value and rich experiences that they provide to New Yorkers," said Councilman Greenfield. "Part of that experience, however, should not be traumatizing children by exposing them to sexual predators and debasing pornography.
*A library spokeswoman tells us that they have gotten "almost zero" complaints about minors using computers to look at porn, "no matter what an anonymous patron says." She further explained that blocked sites make up a whopping .5% of their internet use, and of that .5%, they're not even all porn! Sometimes, for example, art websites with nudity get blocked, because the library's filter is so strong. On top of that, without strictly "monitoring" what people are watching, library staffers keep a close eye on computers in general and, just like the MTA, "if they see something, they'll say something. Minors are not allowed to watch porn in our libraries, period," wrote NYPL Public Relations director Angela Montefinise in a statement.
