LISNews: Librarian News

Jeanie Straub writes "The New York Amsterdam News reports: 'Part of the reason for the establishment of [the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] was to combat illegal wiretap programs like the J. Edgar Hoover-created counter-intelligence program [or COINTELPRO] ... that kept Black activists and left-leaning organizations under surveillance during the late 1960s. COINTELPRO not only shadowed activists, it also actively worked to disrupt their lives -- and often led to the long-term imprisonment, exile and death of many of its subjects. In one instance, a COINTELPRO-orchestrated dispute led to the deaths of Chicago Black Panther Party leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark.' Read the full story at amsterdamnews.com"

gypsy librarian writes "The American Society of Newspaper Editors and other organizations, including ALA, are celebrating Sunshine Week during March 12-18. During this time, the idea is to promote freedom of information and its importance to a democratic society. This is the second year for this event. Find details, news and editorials, and various resources at their website.

HeatherM writes "The March 2006 Open Access Newsletter is now available. Peter Suber highlights the efforts to strengthen the NIH Public Access Policy, and also talks about:

Three gathering storms that could cause collateral damage for open access - the webcasting treaty, opposition to net neutrality, and the end to free e-mail. This is a really good, easy-to-understand summary of some of what I see as the key policy issues of our times, issues which will affect basic human freedoms and library services as a whole, not just open access.

and more..."

Search Engines Web wrote in with the news today about a revisionist historian (Holocaust denier) being convicted. David Irving, who expressed his views during a speech in Austria in November 1989, was given a three year jail sentence by a Vienna court. Bad scientists take note? We've mentioned the legality of anti-Semitic works previously, as well as other no-no titles.