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Mentions the nearly four-year-old child, Robert Clark Bailey, who was the first patron at the renovated Great Kills Branch of the New York Public Library on Staten Island. Indication that Bailey's great-grandmother, Florence Ripley, was the first librarian; History of the Great Kills Branch; The cost of renovation.

Reports on a new study which found that law enforcement officials in the U.S. have made at least 200 formal and informal inquiries to libraries for information on reading material and other internal matters since October 2001.

Examines a moratorium declared on the E-Rate program which gives grants to public libraries and schools for high speed Internet service. Federal Communications Commission in conjunction with the White House which shut down the grants until the program can come up with new rules on how it spends the money; Possibility that as much as $1 billion in new grants will be affected; What it means for libraries and schools; Background on the formation of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) which runs the program; Lawmakers who claim the company is laden with fraud and waste; F.C.C. reduction of the level of contributions which can be made by the phone companies to the USAC; Reasons for the immediate cause of the crisis.

Reports on increased popularity and funding of libraries that offer high-speed internet access. Story of the closure of libraries in Houma, Louisiana prior to the arrival of computers; Revitalization of the town's libraries thanks to the addition of 81 online computers; Comments from Mary Cosper LeBoeuf, the head librarian; Fundamental change to libraries' traditional goals; Speed of the transition to computer-based libraries; Impact of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation; Benefit to other library services.

Discusses the issue of using computers in public libraries in Phoenix, Arizona to view explicit materials via the Internet.

Discusses how, as filtering laws fail, U.S. librarians are finding ways to restrict Internet access to pornography by children. Approaches used by various libraries; Comments of librarians and library directors; Why the Children's Internet Protection Act and other government attempts to limit Internet access have failed; How the issue is being dealt with at the local level; The emerging standard for libraries. INSET: New Guidelines For Librarians And Families.

Reports that United States federal court panel struck down a law requiring libraries to filter the Internet for material harmful to minors. Opinion of this court that such technology blocks so much objectionable material that it would violate the first amendment rights of library users; Reaction of civil liberties advocates to the ruling; Goals of the Children's Internet Pornography Act of 2001. INSET: Excerpts From Opinion Rejecting Internet Law.

Reports on the violation of a Florida law that guarantees confidentiality to library patrons and a cardinal principle of librarians never to tell the police about who uses their rooms and what books they check out.

Focuses on the 113th Street public library branch near Columbia University in New York City, and the patrons and librarians there. Description of the library and patrons; Comments on how little money librarians make in New York City; The importance of libraries in society; Plans to move the library to a bigger space; Comments from librarians.