Join North Central Regional Library, read Garth Stein's Novel "The Art of Racing in the Rain."  Told through the eyes of Enzo, an endearing dog owned by race car driver Denny, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope.  Read the book and join the book discussion group at your library.

Join families throughout North Central Washington in reading The Giver by Lois Lowry.  This novel is a Newbery Award Winner (1994) and Young Reader's Choice Award Winner (1996).  Read the book and join the book discussion group at your library.

Under the WA Constitution, must a library disable its Internet filter to allow adult access to constitutionally protected content?  To view this video from tvw.org Washington State Supreme Court held on June 23, 2009 Click Here.

News Release
Internet Filtering at the North Central Regional Library
July 6, 2009

Contact:
Dean Marney
Director
North Central Regional Library
509-663-1117 x121

The staff and Board of Trustees of the North Central Regional Library, in their mission to “promote reading and lifelong learning”, revere the First amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 5 of the Washington State constitution. We believe that the important and varied duties of public libraries are intertwined with fundamental rights of free speech.

In 2003, the American Library Association challenged the constitutionality of the Children’s Internet Protection Act, a law requiring internet filtering of content deemed harmful to minors as a condition of federal funding.  The ALA argued that internet filtering violates the First Amendment rights of adults.  The U. S. Supreme Court ruled against the ALA but left open a door for an “as applied” challenge to the law.

On June 23, 2009, exactly six years from the date of the ALA decision, the North Central Regional Library appeared in the Washington StateSupreme Court to defend its internet filtering policies against the claims brought by four plaintiffs and the American Civil Liberties Union under Article1, Section 5 of the Washington State Constitution.

The ACLU and four plaintiffs have challenged the Library’s filtering policy because we choose not to disable our filter upon the request of an adult. That policy has been the subject of recent discussion, not all of it well informed.

The North Central Regional Library filters internet content for all patrons, adults and children alike.  We filter because it is an efficient, effective means of including internet-based resources in the collection according to our Mission and Collection Development Policy.We filter because doing so makes us eligible for important federal funding. We also filter because it enhances an appropriate, safe library experience for all, including many school-age children who depend on our libraries for educational needs.

The extent of filtering is not extensive.  We filter out web sites having as their dominant content Pornography, Nudity and Risqué, Adult Materials, and Gambling. We also filter Hacking, Proxy Avoidance, Phishing, Malware, Spyware, Span URL, Image Search, and Video Search. Any patron who believes an internet site has been blocked in error may ask for prompt review by the Library. The Library takes a measured, commonsense approach to internet filtering that is designed to reflect our traditional mission and the values of the communities we serve while providing access to a rich and diverse collection for the benefit of all patrons.

According to Dean Marney, Director of the North Central Regional Library, “the library embraces free speech and its resources will always reflect those fundamental rights.   However, our libraries traditionally have played an important, varied role in the communities we serve. We welcome the internet and have worked hard to provide free access to our patrons. It is a tremendous tool for lifelong learning yet we must manage it to ensure it is not used in ways that adversely impact others.”