[OPLINTECH] Overriding content filters

[Nathan Eady]

"Owen Leonard" <oleonard at gmail.com> writes:

> I'm curious how other libraries handle filter overrides. Does your
> filtering software/hardware allow for overrides? Do you allow your
> patrons to override the content filter? Is anyone using a content
> filter that interfaces with your ILS to validate adult vs. juvenile
> patrons?

The one we use has a link on the block page that takes you to a login
screen where, with a username and password, you can unblock the page
in question, the whole site, or everything.  This unblocking applies
just to the computer in question, and the amount of time is
selectable, e.g., we might unblock it for the next 20 minutes, or
whatever is needed based on how much longer the patron is booked on
the computer.  We haven't distributed the password to patrons, because
at our scale it isn't necessary (every internet PC is within clear
view of a circulation desk...), but we *could* hand it out to
non-minor patrons who ask for unfiltered access, if we chose to do
things that way.

The one problem we've run into with this way of doing things is that a
few sites have gotten Entirely Too Clever (TM) with client-side
scripting, and as a result it is very difficult for the user to
actually *see* the block page, and so there's no straightforward way
to do the unblocking.  MIME attachments at two of the big-three
webmail providers are in this category (and are blocked in the first
place because for reasons I cannot possibly imagine they have not
bothered to register a domain name for the server, which is another
whole can of worms).

Note too that we've been pretty clear here that, even if we unblock
the automated filtering, our internet policy still applies.  So we
really only use the unblocking procedure to correct bugs in the
filtering process, wherein things are blocked that ideally should not
be blocked in the first place.  Still, as with any software that
attempts to solve an AI-complete problem, this inevitably happens with
fair frequency, so having a smooth unblocking procedure is important.

> I'm just curious if there is a baseline of expectations for library
> users.

I suspect different users have differing expectations.  The only way I
know to get a feel for your patrons' expectations is to spend time
interacting with them.  I know this can be difficult for IT geeks (I'm
a borderline reclusive type myself, and as an added bonus my ability
to read non-verbal communication cues approaches zero asymptotically),
but I don't know of any other solution.  Get your users talking, and
listen.  Actually, standard librarian "reference interview" principles
apply pretty well.

-- 
Nathan Eady
Galion Public Library