[bksvol-discuss] Re: Comment from the staff about Adult Content Filtering
- From: "liz halperin" <lizzersagain@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:27:21 -0800
Great, this is what I've been following. If a teen could go to a library or
large bookstore and get a specific book without parental approval, I won't
mark it Adult Content. As in bookstores and library usage and television and
computer games, it is up to the parent to ultimately be responsible (or not)
for their child's input. I remember as a teen getting books I didn't tell my
mom about (and we were close), because it was information I *needed* to
know. The realities of my generation were different than hers. (She's 83 and
I'm 54.) I do not believe in censorship as a general rule. There are so
many books I would LOVE to censor, but there is the First Amendment. And I
know many people would like to censor the books I submit. Again, First
Amendment. And I assume there are teens out there who *need* to find info,
just as I did as a teen. I will not refuse them the books if they could get
them if they were not they not "print impaired." It's yet a very different
world than I grew up in...
Liz, thankful for the clarification
Liz Halperin
Portland, OR
lizzersagain@xxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Claire O'Brien
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 9:48 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Comment from the staff about Adult Content
Filtering
Hi everyone, I'm posting this for Lisa Friendly.
This summary was also written by Jake and reviewed by Claire and myself. I
think you will find it very helpful in light of recent questions on the
list.
Lisa and the staff
----
Reminder About Adult Content Filtering
There has been some recent discussion about Bookshare.org's adult content
filtering policies/procedures. This is a recap of the policy and the
procedures of marking books as containing adult content that will hopefully
answer outstanding questions.
Bookshare.org's adult content policy was created in hopes that young readers
would not stumble across content that a good deal of people would consider
of an adult nature. At the end of this message is the section from the
Volunteer Manual about Bookshare.org's policy for what qualifies as adult.
Submission/Validation/Administrative Review:
* At the time of submission, we ask the submitter of the book to
indicate if he or she believes the book to contain adult content. Submitters
are free to comment on their choice in the comments section. The submitter's
comments are made available to validators during validation and to an
administrator during book review/approval.
* At time of validation, the automated tools process the book looking
at a list of words that are commonly found in adult material. If a certain
percentage of the words are found in the book, the tools suggest the book
should be marked as adult. The validator is then asked to review the
information. If the validator disagrees with the tool, they may override the
tool's choice by checking the appropriate box and providing an explanation
in the comments section for the administrator to review.
* The administrator evaluates all pending titles marked Adult (or
comments in the event the Adult tool was overridden). A final decision will
be made by the administrator, consistent with Bookshare.org policy.
What It Means for a Book to be Marked Adult:
* The book will not be listed or searchable while not logged in.
* For members who are adults, there is an optional filter that can be
changed under the My Account section. If the adult content filter is
enabled, books marked as containing adult content will not be listed or
searchable even when logged in.
* For members who are not adults, under age 18, the adult content
filter is always enabled.
* A parent or guardian of a Bookshare.org member under the age
of 18 can request that the member be given access to an adult content book
in the collection.
* If a parent or guardian wishes, they may also request that
the member under 18 be given access to all adult content books in the
Bookshare.org collection, in which case the Bookshare system will classify
the member as an adult.
From the Volunteer Manual:
3.4 Guidelines for Marking Books "Adult"
Please use your best judgment for determining adult content. While we
understand and respect that different people have different standards for
what is acceptable subject matter, a general guideline to consider is this:
in a large well-stocked bookstore, would somebody under the age of 18 be
able to get this book off the shelf, pay for it, and walk away. Books of an
obvious explicit sexual nature or that incite hate should be considered
adult content. If unsure, mark the book as Adult Content, and explain in one
or two sentences what about the content of the book warrants this selection
in the comments field.
Note that Bookshare reserves the right to make the final decision as to
whether or not a book is considered adult content.
Claire O'Brien
Collection Development Manager, Bookshare
Benetech
480 S. California Ave., Suite 201
Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609 USA
claireo@xxxxxxxxxxxx
www.bookshare.org
The Benetech Initiative - Technology Serving Humanity
A Nonprofit Organization
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