ABSTRACT
Few issues in recent years have divided the library community as deeply as that of Internet filtering. Filtering is here defined as commercial computer software that limits, blocks, or restricts access to Internet content. “Filtering technologies allow Internet material or activities that are deemed inappropriate to be blocked, so that the individual using that filtered computer cannot gain access to that material or participate in those activities.”[1] This entry will discuss the purposes of Internet filters, describe how they work, report on their effectiveness and prevalence in libraries, and explore the effects that filtering has on library users. While the conversation about filtering has been dominated by U.S. libraries primarily due to federal legislation, a survey of international filtering will also be provided.
