WATERLOO -- The director of libraries in Waterloo and Cedar Falls stands firmly opposed to legislative efforts requiring Internet filters in return for state funding.

Carol French Johnson, who jointly oversees the two public libraries, said Internet filters designed to block access to pornography at library terminals will cause more problems than they resolve, noting the libraries have already taken steps to prevent users from browsing graphic content in the building.

"From our perspective, we don't have a problem," Johnson said. "This needs to be a local issue."

Three Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Monday to require all libraries that receive state funding to install filtering software to block access to pornography on the Internet. The legislation also would prohibit libraries from lending R-rated videos or DVDs to patrons under age 17.

The state provides $2.3 million to public libraries each year, including $1 million in direct aid to 477 libraries.

"There are people who go into libraries everyday and access pornography," said Sen. Jeff Angelo, R-Creston. "There's no doubt this is a problem going on in our public libraries."

Congress has already approved similar rules for libraries that receive federal money. Waterloo and Cedar Falls gave up their federal subsidies when the rule was passed, noting the federal dollars were negligible compared to the costs filtering would have brought.

Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, became aware of the issue when he was mayor and received complaints from citizens.

"They came home in the afternoon and their son had rented an R-rated video," Zaun said. "He was 11 years old."

Zaun said libraries should face the same restrictions as movie theaters and rental stores in blocking children's access to mature movies.

"It's wrong that our libraries don't live by the same rules as our theaters," Zaun said.

But Johnson said both the Waterloo and Cedar Falls libraries have set up their Internet terminals to prevent problems.

"What is on your screen is very visible to our staff and everybody who walks through," she said. "If we have any problems with you, you're out. It has been very effective."

Johnson also notes the current filtering technology is ancient.

"They are still blocking by words; they cannot block pictures," she said. "Essex, England, is blocked because 'sex' is in there and breast cancer is blocked because 'breast' is in there. I don't believe that anybody could support blocking breast cancer information to someone who has breast cancer."

But the bigger problem for Waterloo and Cedar Falls revolves around their shared bibliographic data base, which is on a server at the University of Northern Iowa campus.

"If we have titles that get blocked because of filters, we don't have access to our own data base," Johnson said. "I don't know what we would do. In essence, we would have to find our own automated system, which would cost the taxpayers and awful lot of money."

Finally, Johnson disagrees with the idea that Internet access draws child molesters to the library.

"The problems with pedophiles in the library is not new and it's not because of pornography on the Internet," she said. "I used to monitor pedophiles in the libraries in Miami in 1969 (before Internet was available). It's always been a problem and parents need to be aware of that … and not drop of their young kids unattended."

But backers of the bill insist sexual content accessed by adults in a public library setting might be viewed by children. And they contend the latest versions of filtering software are designed to target explicit sites without hampering research.

Twenty-one states have laws requiring libraries to install filters, supporters said.

Todd Dorman of the Courier Des Moines Bureau contributed to this article.

Contact Tim Jamison at (319) 291-1577 or at tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com.