One positive outcome from COVID is that many parents became aware of what their children were being exposed to online through public and school libraries. To begin addressing this issue, State Representative Paul Tittl and State Senator André Jacque have introduced a bill that would require Wisconsin public libraries and public school libraries to take specific steps to help ensure minors do not have access online to harmful or offensive material. The bill also defines “harmful material.”
This bill is a good first step at holding public libraries and school libraries accountable, which has been part of the problem—no accountability. Public library boards, if they are primarily liberal, won’t even require filters on computers minors can access. In this, as always, a child’s best defense is proactive, informed, and involved parents.
