Ross Lib Patriot Act

8/3/2019 Ross Lib Patriot Act

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The USA Patriot Act

vs.

The Library

Kelly RossLibrary 202


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A Day No One Will Forget

On September 11th 2001 a

series of suicide attacks took

place in the area of Washington

D.C. and New York. Two Planes crashed into the

Twin Towers and another plane

attempted to destroy the

Pentagon.

The U.S. was in a state ofnational fear and shock. Many

citizens suffered grief as a

result of the lost of loved ones


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National Response

National security had

been breached using

United Statesairplanes.

Many people were

fearful of the terrorist

in their backyard.Security needed to be

restored.


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Government Response

Under the influence of the Bush

Administration, the USA Patriot

Act was signed by Congress.

The USA Patriot Act stands for:

Uniting and Strengthening

America by Providing

Appropriate Tools Required to

Intercept and ObstructTerrorism


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The Controversy

Title II of the Patriot Act is exceptionally

controversial to libraries.

Title II states that F.B.I and Government

Officials can search the records of librarypatrons without notifying them and withoutwarrant.


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The Problem

For years the libraries

have been able to maintain

the privacy of its patrons.

The USA Patriot Act is in

direct conflict of the

American Library

Association Code of

Ethics pertaining to

Confidentiality


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How this effects Patrons

Student Andrew O'Connor wasinterrogated by Albuquerque policeand the secret Service in February2003. O'Connor was removed from

the college library by police after hemade negative comments aboutPresident Bush in an online chatroom. He was eventually releasewithout being charged.

Bookseller Marc Schultz wasinvestigated for reading an

article titled Weapons of MassStupidity


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The ALA Response

Pertaining to the USAPatriot Act the AmericanLibrary Association has

issued a statement: theAmerican LibraryAssociation considerssections of the USAPATRIOT Act are a

present danger to theconstitutional rights andprivacy rights of libraryusers


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Staff Response

Many librarians

dispose of past

circulation records, inan effort to protect the

privacy of library

patrons.

Government officialscan not obtain records

that no longer exist ;-)


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Activism in the Library

Vermont librarian and AAUP

leader Trina Magi was awarded

theVermont Library Associatio

n's Sarah C. Hagar Award and aPlayboy Foundation 2004 Hugh

Hefner First Amendment

Award in May. Both awards

recognized her effort to gather

state support against section

215 of the Patriot Act.


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Conclusion

National Security should not come at the

sacrifice of civil liberties and constitutional

rights.

The role of the librarian is not just

educational, it is also political. Library Staff

must continue to fight to protect the rightsof all Patrons.


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Works Cited

Carter, Thomas L. Introduction to Library Public Services. 7th. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2009. 190-192. Print.

How library staff guards the privacy of patrons as a result of the USA Patriot Act

Censer, Marjorie J. "Vermont Librarian Honored for Activism on Patriot Act." Academe 90.5 (2004): 16-. ProQuest

Education Journals. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.Information on Trina Magi, the activist librarian who rallied against the USA Patriot Act.

Nijboer, Jelke. "Big Brother Versus Anonymity on the Internet: Implications for Internet Service Providers, Libraries

and Individuals since 9/11." New Library World 105.7 (2004): 256,256-261. ProQuest. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.

Information about Andrew OConnor and Marc Schultz, two library patrons who where needlessly

harassed as a result ofthe USA Patriot Act.

"Resolution on the USA Patriot Act and Related Measures That Infringe on the Rights of Library Users." American

Library Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2011.

.

Statement issued by American Library Association in response to the USA Patriot Act

"USA PATRIOT Act of 2001." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Ed. Shirelle Phelps and Jeffrey Lehman. 2nd

ed. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 183-185.Preceeding events and origins of the USA Patriot Act signed by George Bush.

Documents

Ross Lib Patriot Act