The Board of Trustees of the Cambridge Public Library voted this March on an official Internet policy that does not limit access to pornographic Web sites.

Library staff say they have not received many objections from parents, citing freedom of speech and the traditional right to privacy at public libraries as possible reasons.

"The main issue is always censorship and parental control [of children's Internet use]," says Janet S. Axelrod, a member of the library's board who agrees with the decision not to impose restrictions.

The decision comes as many libraries nationwide are struggling with the issue of unrestricted Internet access. Some libraries are experimenting with methods of preventing patrons from accessing inappropriate sites, while others maintain that these restrictions go against constitutional rights.

The policy adopted by the Cambridge Public Library board begins with an endorsement of the right to unrestricted Internet use.

"The Library does not...attempt to protect users from materials that some individuals may find controversial or offensive," the policy states.

The board decided against equipping any of the library's computers with filters--software that blocks access to material containing certain keywords.

In November, a U.S. district judge ruled that a filter system employed by libraries in Loudoun County, Va., violated the Constitution.

Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association oppose the use of filters or any other state-sponsored limitation of Web access.