A filter that lets good information in: Kansas creates a library-friendly alternative to cope with the Children's Internet Protection Act.(Tech Knowledge)

In an attempt to satisfy the requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) without unduly restricting library users' access to online information, Kansas has accomplished something no other state has: it's created its own Internet filter. Since December 2003, about 60 of the state's 330 public libraries have used tire KanGuard filter, free of charge, through a proxy server set up through the Kansas State Library, says Thomas Reddick, the automation coordinator of the North East Kansas Library System (NEKLS) and one of the creators of KanGuard.

The state's library-friendly alternative comes at a crucial time. After the Supreme Court upheld CIPA last summer, libraries that want to continue receiving e-rate funds must install software flint blocks images that are obscene or "harmful …