[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [ALACOUN:15073] Sanders Amendment - ALA press release

[Alfred Kagan]

FYI from the American Library Association.

Begin forwarded message:

> ***
> June 15, 2005
> Contact: Bernadette Murphy, Washington Communications
> Director
> ALA Washington Office
> (202) 628-8410
> bmurphy at alawash.org
> Sanders Amendment passes: library users again free to
> read
>
> (WASHINGTON) Today, in a stunning 238-187 victory,
> Rep. Bernie Sanders'
> (I-VT) amendment to the House Science-State-Justice
> Subcommittee (SSJC)
> appropriations bill passed. The appropriations bill
> funds the Justice
> Department and Sanders' amendment bars the Department
> from using any of
> the appropriated money to search library and bookstore
> records under
> Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
>
>
>
> Like the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157)
> also sponsored by
> Congressman Sanders, the Sanders Freedom to Read
> Amendment restores
> legal standards and warrant procedures for
> investigations of library and
> bookstore records that were in place before passage of
> the USA PATRIOT
> Act. The text of the amendment reads, "None of the
> funds made available
> in this Act may be used to make an application under
> section 501 of the
> Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50
> U.S.C. 1861) for an
> order requiring the production of library circulation
> records, library
> patron lists, book sales records, or book customer
> lists."
>
>
>
> Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act dramatically
> expanded the scope of
> materials the FBI can access with a warrant from the
> government's secret
> Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or "FISA" court.
> This section
> gives the FBI the power to search for any "tangible
> things (including
> books, records, papers, documents, and other items)"
> in any location
> without having to name the subject of the search,
> permitting "fishing
> expeditions" in library records. Millions of people
> across the country,
> including librarians and booksellers, are concerned
> about the chilling effect
> of this legislation, which encourages users to
> self-censor their
> reading choices. Seven state legislatures, 44 state
> library associations, and
> 381 cities and towns representing nearly 62 million
> people have passed
> resolutions expressing their concerns with Section 215
> and other
> specific provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
>
>
>
> "Library patrons should be thrilled that their
> champion, Congressman
> Sanders, has finally prevailed," said Emily Sheketoff,
> executive director
> of the ALA Washington Office. "People from every
> political persuasion
> supported this amendment, and we are grateful that
> members of the House
> listened to librarians' concerns."
>
> ***
>
>
>
> Ann C. Sparanese,MLS
> Head of Adult & Young Adult Services
> Englewood Public Library
> Englewood, NJ 07631
> 201-568-2215, ext 229
> ALA Councilor-At-Large
>
> "The opinions are my own!"
>
>


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

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