Library Censorship...

I don't know if this is occuring anywhere else around the United States of America but here recently my library has blocked all streaming media websites such as: youtube, google videos, vimeo, and all music sites as well. It wasn't like this before either...too me it seems like a form of censorship. Is this happening to anybody else at public libraries? Thoughts, questions, feedback?

As of yesterday the local library here did not seem to have any such censoring in place but I was using my laptop through their router...I don't know if that makes a difference.

I will be there again this afternoon so I will try one of their computers and see if this is occuring. I am curious now that you have brought this up.

reply to post by jerryznv


Yeah, I'm not sure if that would make a difference.
If you are on a laptop you might be able to pass through somehow, not sure though.
What state is your library in? I live in Florida by the way. But literally it won't allow anyone to acess any streaming media website...seems odd to me.

reply to post by unknownman024


Well where I live there's a filter on the internet feed at our local library. It mostly filters porn and in-appropriate things of that nature. I can access ATS, and many other blog sites and have never run into a problem, also can access streaming media, you tube ect.. We have the same thing at my work it a barracuda web filter and it blocks game sites, porn, ect. Streaming media is blocked at my work though, but thats through our personal filter.

reply to post by mileslong54


yeah blocking porn and that kind of stuff is a given. But I can't watch any videos on youtube, google, vimeo, or any links of videos on any website. Thankfully I can still get on ATS hahah. but NO streaming media whatsoever.

reply to post by unknownman024


I think it is odd for sure...

What is the library saying about it? Maybe some settings accidently got changed...or not accidently.

I am on the Wyoming/Montana state line...the middle of nowhere...the fact that there is an internet connection at all may be a miracle in itself.

reply to post by jerryznv


Let me go ask the lady at the front desk, just a sec.....

This could be related to the new felony legislation in regards to downloading streaming content. The individual libraries are probably taking steps to make sure they don't become co-defendants in such cases.

reply to post by unknownman024


Well I just asked the lady, and she said "she had no clue that the websites were blocked".
She even went to go see for herself, and sure enough all streaming media is blocked. She then said "that it is new to me, and they haven't told us anything about it yet, mabye we'll get a memo about it later". Even though everythings been blocked for well over a week now...not even the librarians know anything about it. hmmmm...kind of frustrating. Oh yeah she also said "it might be because of the bandwidth" but that isn't the case. Everything is simply blocked. It has nothing to do with the bandwidth.

reply to post by visualmiscreant


I don't really see that the case because I'm still able to acess the video convertor websites where you steal music from any of those websites...Why wouldn't they just block those sites rather than the actual video hosting site? doesn't make sense.

Originally posted by visualmiscreant
This could be related to the new felony legislation in regards to downloading streaming content. The individual libraries are probably taking steps to make sure they don't become co-defendants in such cases.

I think this may have something to do with it, but to be honest, I have not really spent any time looking into it...so I am ill informed about what it is all about.

It sound plausible though...and I would not be suprised to find out that this is the problem with streaming at your local library.

reply to post by unknownman024


Every now and then I can't get you tube and streaming media at work but it the filter again. Today youtube is working here, where as last week it wasn't.

reply to post by jerryznv


But I'm still able to acess the sites that allow you to steal the music and such, but not the actual video sites themselves...that just doesn't make sense. Even though the media streaming sites are blocked I can still get the URL off them and steal the content, so if that is the case there method of preventing this from happening doesn't work.

reply to post by unknownman024


I would think that a library administrator would be a little more knowledgable about how the system runs and the advanced setting that are in place...but then again there are alot of people that are lost in this capacity.

I don't really have any advice on this one, or for that matter, any idea what is causing this.

I suppose I would ask higher up the chain of command at the library because I don't think the desk clerk is going to be of much help...surely there is a simple awnser.

Sorry to not be of much help...good luck and I will stay tuned to hear the findings in this.

Originally posted by unknownman024
reply to post by unknownman024

 

Oh yeah she also said "it might be because of the bandwidth" but that isn't the case. Everything is simply blocked. It has nothing to do with the bandwidth.

It might very well have to do with the bandwidth. She might be right. Their IT department may have exceeded bandwidth and taken emergency measures to corral it in. Depending on the size of the library, they may be working on T-1 lines which by today's standards aren't very big. Not all libraries can afford fiber optic.

Further, I think you will find most libraries DO allow porn access, though it is restricted to places not near children's areas and you may have to use specific terminals to do it. This is a first amendment issue and plain old porn is not illegal for adults. If the library is accepting federal dollars to subsidize Internet access, it is required to have a filter in place, but it doesn't have to filter everything.

I'm a retired Systems Librarian (Librarian who installs and runs the computers). I've been through the policy wringer on all this stuff, installed filters, and grappled with the issues. Please let me know if you find out anything regarding a policy on the streaming. There's no reason you can't name the library system publicly. I'd like to get to the bottom of this. Thanks.

This isn't just censorship in libraries they're also trying to increase the laws and penalties protecting corporate secrecy and excessive copyrights. See the following string for more. They are trying to control as much information as they can get away with everywhere.

This is driving up the cost of education and making it much harder for many people to to conduct research to hold their government and the corporations accountable which seems to be the point.

reply to post by jerryznv


Good idea, I think I will try to come into contact with the library director/supervisor about this. Don't know if that will be any help though. But yeah the librarians had no idea, or at least that's what they said...who knows. But if it is an effort to prevent people from downloading streaming content is a complete failure becuase I'm still able to do that, just by getting the URL from whatever is you want to download and then going to one of those sites that allow you to steal it.

reply to post by schuyler


Yeah, I don't know...but the library is connected to like 15 others on the same bandwidth, but I just don't see that as the case, all the websites are just blocked. I don't know if this helps but here's the link to the library homepage: mylibraryworld.com... Also heres the link that specifically shows up when you try to acess any of these sites: 207.203.64.239:15871...

reply to post by unknownman024


I couldn't get the screen to come up. I wrote to their IT department and simply asked. I'll post back here as soon as I get an answer.

Yup. Library lady was right. I just got an email from their IT department as follows:
\

Video streaming has been disabled because of bandwidth limitations. If in the future we can increase bandwidth we would then allow video streaming.

Information Systems Manager

So, I won't say 'problem solved,' but explanation provided. I would think they might should have communicated that to their staff.