Tom Elmer's RanTom Thoughts

2002-07-03 17:24 - More on libraries and freedom...

Libraries again come up... (see my rant earlier)

WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 5 Jul 02 Washington, DC

1. PATRIOT ACT: IS THE FBI'S "LIBRARY AWARENESS PROGRAM" BACK?

Just six weeks after 9/11, and after almost no debate, Congress passed the Patriot Act. One provision gave the FBI authority to obtain library circulation records. We went through that during the cold war, when FBI agents, under what became known as the "library awareness program," tried to recruit university science librarians to act as snitches, reporting on the reading habits of "suspicious" people (WN 3 Jun 88). The program was terminated in the face of protests from science organizations, the American Library Association and Congress. In 37 states, your reading habits are protected information, but the federal Patriot Act overrides these state laws. Before the Patriot Act passed, WN cautioned against trading freedom for security (WN 12 Oct 01). An ALA statement is being prepared that will oppose those parts of the Patriot Act that interfere with the right to read.