Your library can be required under the Patriot Act to turn over your reading choices

[LuckyLib]

and never even has to inform you that the feds have requested it. Are we fascist yet? :grr:

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) became law on Oct. 26, 2001, and was renewed on March 9, 2006. Under the act, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and law enforcement officials can seek court orders for Library records for investigations relevant to national security or terrorism. Library staff who are served with these search warrants are not allowed to say anything about the warrants or whether any records were turned over to law enforcement. Library staff cannot tell you that your records were given to law enforcement agencies or that you have been the subject of an FBI investigation.

Checking the hours at my local library and came upon the above. http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/patriotact.asp

[acmavm]

1. And several librarians have stood up to this facist bastards when asked

to turn over their records.

They are some of our 'unsung' heros.

[MADem]

2. Yep, doubly unsung, because they can't talk to anyone about what went down, either! NT

[MountainLaurel]

17. Now, they can

And have (including speaking before Congress just a couple weeks ago about Patriot Act abuses):

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog/2007/04/george_christia.html
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/222/george-christian-interview.html

[MADem]

19. The way I understood that case is that the judge lifted the gag order in THEIR case only

But the proviso of the law that says that librarians in general can't talk hasn't changed yet.

I could be mistaken, but that was how I took it when I heard that bunch speak...

[MountainLaurel]

20. Yes, that's correct

"they" in my post refers to the Connecticut Four.

[MADem]

21. I DO like librarians--aside from the glasses (joke) they're guardians of liberty! NT

[Iris]

3. yes. Few librarians roll over and take this lightly.

Patron privacy is very important to librarians.

[MethuenProgressive]

4. QUICK!! Go take out every Anti-Bush book they have!!

I already have :evilgrin:

[Cabcere]

14. Yep, me too.

:evilgrin: I'm probably already on the federal hit list for checking out "Bush on the Couch" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four" among others over winter break. Wonder what they'll make of the fact that one of my high-school English classes had "Fahrenheit 451" as required reading? :shrug: It looks like they're headed in that direction...

[Poiuyt]

5. My library does not keep records after a book has been returned

They can't turn over what they don't have

[Hekate]

8. EXCELLENT! nt

[Forkboy]

6. Many librarians are standing up to this and refusing to do so.

Many have probably gone along as well though.

Glad I borrowed The Monkey Wrench Gang long before 9/11.

[Hekate]

7. Actually, they are not ALLOWED to tell you the Feds asked.Many are resisting this intrusion.

Librarians are all about free access to knowledge, not about bowing to fascists.

But the USA PATRIOT Act is full of some very scary stuff, and librarians are rightfully afraid. Several years ago I was part of a group that went to the City Council to ask that they officially go on record as opposing the Act. They did, but they wouldn't ask that individual City employees put themselves at risk by standing up to the Feds alone, and I completely understand that part.

I want my country back.

Hekate

[EFerrari]

9. First they have to get by my librarian.

:evilgrin:

[Jim Warren]

10. My small town library's director

has a bumper sticker on her car:



Yeh boy, strange ironies indeed when librarians are carrying the load on the the front lines of liberty.

[electron_blue]

13. This is because education is one of the top targets of attack by this education

and.... bcs librarians seem to take this so danged seriously, thank goodness.

[LuckyLib]

15. Ain't it the truth.

[Pyrzqxgl]

11. Even my Captain Marvel comic books?

That Dr. Silvania in the White House is up to it again.

[elocs]

12. Well it's a good thing that I don't read,

that is, I don't check out reading material from my library.

[Iris]

18. yep. And wouldn't the Neocons love it if no one would?

[Gabi Hayes]

16. here's the story of the Connecticut librarians who stood up against PATRIOT fascism.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=651182