[Peace-discuss] Fwd: NYLA Resolution re The Patriot Act

[Alfred Kagan]

FYI from the New York Library Association.

>
>
>A resolution like ALA's, with a few teeth added and some bite, from NYLA.
>MCR
>
>>>>
>>>>At the New York Library Association Council meeting on February 6, the
>>>>Council passed a resolution affirming the ALA Resolution on the Patriot
>>>>Act and also passed the following NYLA resolution.  The text of the
>>>>resolution follows.
>>>>
>>>>New York Library Association Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Whereas, there are many provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Homeland
>>>>Security Act, and the new guidelines of the Federal Bureau of
>>>>Investigation that undermine constitutionally protected rights of
>>>>Americans by expanding the authority of the government beyond already
>>>>existing laws to investigate the private lives of citizens and
>>>>non-citizens alike; and
>>>>
>>>>Whereas, these provisions make it easier for law enforcement agents to
>>>>engage in electronic surveillance and data collection for library users
>>>>who are not suspected of any crime, and whose use of computers to browse
>>>>the Internet, access email, or research online information may be under
>>>>government surveillance without their knowledge or consent; and
>>>>
>>>>Whereas, these new federal laws and policies disproportionately affect
>>>>individuals who cannot afford or otherwise do not own their own
>>>>equipment and must rely on public access computers in libraries; and
>>>>
>>>>Whereas, the primary roles of the professional librarian are founded on
>>>>the principles that facilitate the free flow of knowledge and
>>>>information, encourage the free expression of ideas, and safeguard the
>>>>constitutionally protected right of citizens to access those ideas free
>>>>of censorship, violation of privacy, or governmental intrusion;
>>>>
>>>>Therefore, be it resolved that while the New York Library Association
>>>>strongly opposes terrorism, we affirm the need to remain vigilant
>>>>against the erosion of our most fundamental civil liberties; and
>>>>
>>>>Be it further resolved that the New York Library Association therefore
>>>>opposes the use of governmental authority to infringe upon
>>>>constitutionally protected privacy by data mining vast amounts of
>>>>information on people not suspected of any crime, to suppress the free
>>>>and open exchange of recorded information and knowledge; and
>>>>
>>>>Be it further resolved that the New York Library Association encourages
>>>>all librarians, library administrators, and library advocates to inform
>>>>their communities, staff, and patrons about the ramifications and the
>>>>dangers of current legislation, including the provisions of the USA
>>>>PATRIOT Act, the Homeland Security Act, and other current legislation
>>>>that threaten patron privacy and the confidentiality of library records;
>>>>and
>>>>
>>>>Be it further resolved that the New York Library Association affirms the
>>>>rights of librarians everywhere to defend and support patron privacy and
>>>>will join the efforts of the American Library Association and other
>>>>organizations to facilitate the free flow of information, to defend
>>>>patron privacy, and to amend or change the sections of the USA PATRIOT
>>>>Act, the Homeland Security Act, and other related legislation that
>>>>threaten or violate those rights; and
>>>>
>>>>Be it further resolved that the New York Library Association urges the
>>>>United States Congress to thoroughly discuss the ramifications of these
>>>>laws, to consider repealing the provisions that threaten the rights of
>>>>all American citizens, to actively oversee the implementation of these
>>>>laws, and to preserve current measures that provide judicial review, and
>>>>require probable cause, for the use of warrants, subpoenas, telephone
>>>>monitoring devices and all other methods of collecting confidential
>>>>information about individuals.
>>>>
>>>>Resolved, that this resolution be forwarded to the President of the
>>>>United States, to the Attorney General of the United States, to Members
>>>>of both Houses of Congress, to the library community, and to others as
>>>>appropriate.
>>>>
>>>>Adopted by the NYLA Council on February 6, 2003
>>>>
>>>
>>>---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
>>>
>>>  Ruth V. Oberg		                      oberg at buffalo.edu
>>>  University at Buffalo                              voice: 716-645-2947
>>>x227  Science and Engineering Library    fax: 716-645-3710
>>>  228 Capen Hall  Buffalo, NY   14260-1672
>>>  NYSLAA Conference Coordinator
>>>
>>>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
>>>
>>
>>---------- End Forwarded Message ----------


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu