Internet filtering – that is, highly restrictive internet filtering – is a problem in some school libraries, and it can negatively impact student learning and achievement. With that in mind, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) designated Wednesday, September 28 as the first annual Banned Websites Awareness Day in order “to raise awareness of the overly restrictive blocking of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools in schools and school libraries.”
Schools all over the country participated in Banned Websites Awareness activities and some were featured in the New York Times. Colorado’s own Silver Creek High School in Longmont “held a “graffiti debate” on censorship on Wednesday: Should schools block Web sites? On sheets of white butcher paper hanging in the library, they wrote lists of the pros and cons of online access.” Silver Creek’s librarian, Phil Goerner, organized the debate to encourage students to think more deeply about ethical issues related to censorship, including how it can take away a person’s voice. Continue reading ‘Banned Websites Awareness Day’
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