Apparently, this story has been unfolding for some time, but it's NEW TO ME.

New enough that my jaw dropped so far and fast that I think I may have INJURED MYSELF.

From the Riverfront Times:

A federal district court has ordered the public library in Salem, Missouri to stop blocking patrons' access to websites relating to minority religions, which web filters had at times apparently classified as "occult" or "criminal," the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri announced today. As we reported last year, this censorship was brought to light when a Salem resident complained that she couldn't get onto websites about Native American religions and Wiccan faith.

Comments

[Jackie Parker]

WTF?

[Leila]

THANK YOU.

[Jenn]

Not to say that this library is completely innocent in the matter, but I know that sometimes the filter we have at the library I work at is a bit wonky. We've had patrons able to access porn sites, but just the other day I tried to go to the website for the band The Apache Relay and it was blocked on the grounds that it was a sex site (and, trust me, they're not that kind of band).