STAMFORD -- Many school districts in Fairfield County have
strict limits on which Web pages can be viewed by students
during school hours, effectively outlawing the use of social
media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. New Canaan
High School's Library Department Chair Michelle Luhtala takes
issue with these restrictions, which she likens to the practice
of banning books in school libraries. In an effort to raise
awareness around the importance of freedom of information for
students, Luhtala plans to launch Banned Sites Day on Sept. 28,
piggybacking off the American Library Association's annual
Banned Books Week the last week in September. "I see it as
similar to banned books in that there are other voices telling
people what they have access to in relation to what people are
reading," Luhtala said. While some educators see sites like
Facebook as a distraction for students, or a gateway for harmful
materials to seep through a firewall, Luhtala sees a learning
opportunity. "What's important is that s