Help make the library a safer place!

Under current Charleston County Public Library policy, children are allowed access to graphically violent digital content, including first person shooter video games.

Library staff has shared that the presence of these games in the children’s section is an ongoing problem, but that there is little they can do to restrict access under current policy.

While most would agree that these games and other such content should not be offered to children, the restriction of them turns out to be challenging (SC state law, the FCC, etc.)

We know that this is complicated, but we believe there is a solution.

We ask the Board to:

• explore existing legal options that would exclude violent digital content from computers in the children’s section of our libraries. 
• research how other library systems have navigated this issue. 
• inform the community about what actions we can take to help solve this problem.

Please note that this petition is not antagonistic in nature; rather, it is intended to show support for CCPL in addressing this harmful policy loophole. We love and support the library—and we want it to be better.

The CCPL board meets next Thursday, August 28th at the Cynthia Graham Hurd Library at 5:30 pm. Please consider attending.

Thank you!

Resources:

The FCC Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA): https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act

CCPL Internet use policy: https://www.ccpl.org/policies-procedures#1244