From: Goldman, Ava (Ava_Goldman@CalPERS.CA.GOV)
Date: Thu Sep 29 2005 - 08:15:25 PDT
Subject: FW: librarians protest Patriot Act... Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:15:25 -0700 Message-ID: <781B30BA0EB0904F8203EC15339A3B690460EAB7@hqk110.calpers.ca.gov> From: "Goldman, Ava" <Ava_Goldman@CalPERS.CA.GOV>
cross-posted.
Ava Goldman
Senior Librarian, Human Resources, ASTD, 916-795-1533
The following article was sent to me from Mary Langman, MLS's
Information Issues and Policy Coordinator.
Barbara Ryken
Govt Relations
NCNMLG
A story from today's Chronicle of Higher Education:
September 28, 2005
Librarians Protest Patriot Act
The American Library Association and the American Civil
Liberties Union joined forces today to urge Attorney General Alberto R.
Gonzales to allow a Connecticut library group that received an order
under the Patriot Act to publicly talk about the experience. Under the
order, called a national security letter, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation demanded that the Connecticut library group turn over the
records of certain patrons. The order barred the group from telling
anyone it had received the letter. A federal judge in Connecticut ruled
earlier this month that this gag should be lifted, but an appeals court
decided that the library group's identity should remain a secret while
the Justice Department tries to persuade the appeals court to overturn
the judge's decision.
At a news conference, members of Congress, librarians,
and civil libertarians said it was crucial that the Connecticut library
group -- known as "John Doe" in court papers -- be allowed to openly
participate in the debate in Congress on the Patriot Act. Critics of the
law say the Patriot Act threatens the privacy rights of law-abiding
citizens and undermines their free-speech rights.
While speakers warned of the perils of the Patriot Act
and accused the Justice Department of deceiving Congress in how federal
officials have used the law, they were surrounded by eight librarians
who covered their mouths with masking tape that bore the letters "NSL,"
for national security letter. As one of the speakers implored Mr.
Gonzales to lift the gag, the librarians peeled off the pieces of tape
in unison. Following the news conference the group headed to the Justice
Department to present officials with a petition of 25,000 signatures
that urged the department to allow John Doe to freely speak about its
personal experience with the Patriot Act.
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