Librarians Split on Sharing Info

Tim passed along This Wired Story we missed on librarians\’ response to law enforcement requests for patrons\’ records in the year following the passage of the Patriot Act.

They talk about This Survey [PDF] done by The Library Research Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that found in the year following the Sept. 11 attacks, federal and local law enforcement agents visited at least 545 libraries to inquire after patrons\’ records.

When asked to voluntarily forfeit patrons\’ records, roughly half the librarians cooperated with investigators without demanding a subpoena or court order, the study found.