LISNews: Librarian News

Sabrina Pacifici writes \"
Library Records Post-Patriot Act

Mary Minow provides a detailed and annotated report, in chart form, on key PATRIOT Act issues impacting libraries, including: intercept orders, search warrants, pen/trap orders, subpoenas, and notification for preservation of information.

New on LLRX for September 16, 2002. \"

The Miami Herald Says federal investigators want to strip away the cloak of anonymity that helped Sept. 11 suspects communicate on public library computers without detection. A provision buried within the 342-page Patriot Act, which took effect in October, allows agents to demand records from librarians and booksellers with unprecedented ease.

\'\'Our rights have been taken away. We\'re being forced to go against our professional ethics,\'\' said Judith Krug, director of the American Library Association\'s office for intellectual freedom. ``But the only way to overcome this is to act illegally. It\'s awful.\'\'

From the Missoula Independent... The Pacific Northwest Library Association recently hald its annual conference. The main topic was the changing roles of librarians in the wake of the USA Patriot Act. \"As a group, librarians are not known for being overly emotional or prone to hyperbole. So when a regional association of librarians gathers to voice its concerns over the erosion of civil liberties and the destruction of historical documents, it might be wise for the rest of us to sit up and take notice.\" Read More.

Bob Cox points us to a short snip in the Washington Post that says Laura Bush is siding with her husband [and the Patriot Act] over the librarians. \"These are extraordinary times for our nation because we are at war against terrorism,\" the first lady said in a statement read by her spokeswoman.