Someone forwarded this email from Scott L. Shafer
Director of the Lima Ohio Public Library.
\”Let me please place a caveat on my update about the materials removal
issue raised last week: Lima, Ohio is a place of heightened security
concern in light of world events. The largest oil refinery east of the
Mississippi and the only tank manufacturing plant in the US are located
across the same road from each other. NO one in Lima, including every
one at the Library, wants these facilities to be put into harms way.
However…….
The Local Office of Homeland Security appeared at the Lima Public
Library last Thursday afternoon to \”update\” The Allen County Hazardous
Materials Emergency Plan. They were asked for ID and given the loose
leaf binder by the Reference Staff. When the Reference Staff checked
the binder back on the shelf they found that the \”update\” was the
removal of the entire contents of the manual and its replacement with a
page referring all inquiries to their offices. The same scenario was
repeated at our Spencerville branch.
Someone forwarded this email from Scott L. Shafer
Director of the Lima Ohio Public Library.
\”Let me please place a caveat on my update about the materials removal
issue raised last week: Lima, Ohio is a place of heightened security
concern in light of world events. The largest oil refinery east of the
Mississippi and the only tank manufacturing plant in the US are located
across the same road from each other. NO one in Lima, including every
one at the Library, wants these facilities to be put into harms way.
However…….
The Local Office of Homeland Security appeared at the Lima Public
Library last Thursday afternoon to \”update\” The Allen County Hazardous
Materials Emergency Plan. They were asked for ID and given the loose
leaf binder by the Reference Staff. When the Reference Staff checked
the binder back on the shelf they found that the \”update\” was the
removal of the entire contents of the manual and its replacement with a
page referring all inquiries to their offices. The same scenario was
repeated at our Spencerville branch.
Late Friday, I spoke with Judith Kruge, Director of the Office of
Intellectual Freedom of ALA, about the incident. It was a very timely
call because the Committee met this past weekend. Judith wanted the
particulars to illustrate to the Committee the tactics that are being
used in the name of homeland security. ALA offered any help they could
in dealing with the incident and I appreciate commiserating with Judith.
This morning my Assistant Director, Candy Newland, and Head of Public
Relations, Karen Sommer, met with Russ Decker, local Director of the
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and his Deputy
Director.
The purpose of the meeting was to make the Agency aware that the Library
was at issue with the fact that library materials were removed from the
collection.
We made clear that the official policy of the Library is to work in
cooperation with local civil and legal authority. However, the removal
of library materials presents a very serious issues. It is the official
policy of the Lima Public Library that all donated materials become the
property of the Library and their removal is subject to our approval.
If any other Allen County resident had done this, we would have
considered it a theft.
To highlight the meeting, the following points became clear:
1. The FBI has been testing libraries to see what information they can
obtain on strategic points within the community. Oddly enough, the
staff of the Lima Public Library was able to help local agents (posing
as patrons) find the materials for which they were looking.
2. Our local office of Homeland security believes that Library Staff
should be reporting any suspicious research activities to local
authorities (Mr. Decker was disabused of this notion immediately).
3. Mr. Decker feels he has sole authority to remove anything/s he feels
to be a national threat. A citizen\’s recourse is to take the issue to
court and then a judge will determine whether or not the correct
decision was made.
4. Mr. Decker informed us that there was nothing else that they would
wish to remove. He had the authority to remove only this particular
document. He did not know, however, what would be of interest to other
state or federal agencies.
5. Mr. Decker presented us with a copy of the letter that was delivered
to our Reference desk concerning the removal of the material. They did
not know what to call the \”head\” of the library, here so they just left
the form letter about the \”update\” at the desk.
6. Mr. Decker stated that he was not worried about the media. He has
dealt with them many times. This was such a small issue that they
wouldn\’t be interested. After all, the media had not made a fuss over
any of the legislation that had been passed thus far affecting the
availability of information.
7. The Office of Homeland Security was aware of the OPLIN discussions
of the incident.
Mrs. Newland\’s final impression is that Mr. Decker feels that he was
within his full right to remove the materials. He was doing it as a
preventative measure because that information that could be used by
terrorists to destroy over 140 sites of chemical holdings within Allen
County. Making such information available without a record of who looked
at it would be inappropriate. Proper ID is required now to see the
material, a valid Ohio driver\’s license which will be checked to
ascertain whether or not there are any warrants out against the holder.
A thank you goes to Martha Lee of the Bluffton Library for passing this
information on to the OPLIN List. Through OPLIN, the intellectual
Freedom Committee of ALA got wind of the incident.
I\’m not sure there is anything else that we can do about this incident.
Had the Library been treated with the forthrightness and respect it
deserves, this would have been discreetly and appropriately dealt with.
Since, local authorities choose to do otherwise, I feel it\’s our duty to
raise the awareness of our colleagues.
These be strange times.
Scott L. Shafer
Director
Lima Public Library
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