Library Delays Child Porn Incident Report; Holyoke Public Library Director Maria G Pagan Lies to Hide the Truth From the Public

Here we go again, another public library supporting child pornography viewing. The Holyoke Public Library, MA, delayed three days before reporting the crime. "I'm just disgusted by it," the Police Chief said. "It should have been reported immediately."

See, "Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott Criticizes Library Staff for Waiting 3 Days to Report Child Pornography Viewing," by Ken Ross, The Republican, 15 June 2009, and "Library Faulted in Internet Case," by Ken Ross, The Republican, 16 June 2009.

Library Director Maria G. Pagan claims pornography viewing has not previously occurred. When she is told it has happened numerous times, she continues to deny it. "'There are going to be certain times in the day the computer room is not going to be staffed,' she said. As a result, 'It's the parents' responsibility to keep an eye on the kids.'"

Hey! Ever hear of CIPA-complaint Internet filters? Obviously, your optional filters DO NOT WORK!

• "The Holyoke library does not allow patrons to view Internet pornographic material of any kind on its computers, [library director] Pagan said. 'If you're caught and it's offensive to somebody, you can't view it,' she said."
  

Oh yeah? CYA, anyone? We report from the links above, you decide:

• "Waiting three days before reporting evidence of someone viewing child pornography on a library computer."
• "Should have been reported immediately."
• "Several incidents prior to that, and they were not reported."
• "If you're caught."
• "Certain times ... the computer room is not going to be staffed."
• "Adult library users are responsible for determining whether their access is 'filtered' or 'unfiltered'; parents are responsible for determining their children's access types."
• "A female library patron checking her e-mail on a library computer found child pornography still visible on the computer screen"
  

Remember, "The Holyoke library does not allow patrons to view Internet pornographic material of any kind on its computers, [library director] Pagan said." If it does not allow it but it turns a blind eye then fails to report it to the police, that essentially makes what the library director said a lie, does it not?

This is obviously not a safe library.

Citizens of Holyoke need to ask whether the library director is violating the public trust by looking the other way at criminal activity in the public library. That seems to be the case, at least as I understand what was reported. Contact your City of Holyoke government—it's a public library, not a child pornography library where anything goes because the American Library Association is dead set against Internet filters.

UPDATE 21 July 2009: Holyoke 1, ALA 0: "Holyoke Library Installs Anti-Porn Software in Wake of Michael Houle's Recent Arrest," by Mike Plaisance, The Republican Newsroom, 20 July 2009. Notice the story of the librarian's outing of the library director's actions to protect the child porn viewer is further expanded.

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