Discusses issues involved in public access to library materials and facilities and patron confidentiality. Topics discussed include children's access to adult materials; parents' right to know about their children's materials; First and Fourth Amendment protections; the Library Bill of Rights; and American Library Association (ALA) documents that…

Considers the role of public library trustees in censorship challenges. Topics addressed include the need for clear library policies concerning censorship; informing trustees about First Amendment rights, challenges regarding problem patrons and age restrictions, the trustee as citizen as well as board member, and the board's need for appropriate…

The case of an indigent library patron recovering a judgment against a public library is used as a backdrop for discussing patron behavior policies in the public library. Highlights include First Amendment rights, the public library as an expressive forum, government rules, policy lessons from the case, and acceptable policies. (AEF)

Intended to be a practical guide to the issues that arise under the First Amendment for libraries that provide public access to the Internet, this book contains the following chapters: (1) "Questions and Answers about the First Amendment: Sex, Lies, and Cyberspace"; (2) "Basic First Amendment Principles and Their Application to…