Libraries Under Siege by Patriot Act

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"The FBI has the right to obtain a court order to access any records we have of your transactions." Those words mark notices posted by conscientious Santa Monica, California librarians. Similar notices have been posted in several other libraries across the southland.(1) Those signs may be the only avenue of free expression left to our cities' curators when the inappropriately named USA PATRIOT Act rears its ugly head into the picture. Section 215 of the Patriot Act paves the way for law enforcement to peer into our reading habits and internet activity, not only at our nation's libraries but in bookstores as well. Furthermore, the act criminalizes anyone at any of those institutions who reveals that a warrant has been served on their patrons.(2)

South Pasadena city librarian, Terri Maguire, sums up the concerns of many biblio-caretakers and retailers across the country: "Privacy and access to information are important to libraries. Do we have an obligation to inform our patrons? We decided that yes, we did."(3) Not so long ago, when our civil rights exited on paper, law enforcement officials were required to show probable cause to a judge, and recieve a court order before gaining legal access to our reading lists and internet activity logs. Now, these court orders are issued in secret federal courts who readily hand out permissions for such privacy violations at the hands of agencies like the FBI with minimal restraint.(4) In response, 32 organizations and businesses across the country including the American Library Association (ALA), the California Library Association, the Association of Ameriacan Publishers, Barne's and Noble, Border's Books, and others have rallied to publicly condemn provision 215 of the Patriot Act.(5) The ALA has reaffirmed our privacy rights and directed library staff to be very protective of any sensitive information regarding its patrons: "Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought and free association." ---

Banish bush From Texas Too

then everybody would be concerned.

That is my guess. Someone who read such a warning might decline to go ahead with a purchase.

Librarians have principles at stake. At least they can warn their patrons beforehand of the lurking dangers, even though they can't tell them after the fact, if their records are seized.

Go, librarians! I love librarians!

s_m