Larisa Alexandrovna: Gagged librarians break silence on Patriot Act

[kpete]

Gagged librarians break silence on Patriot Act

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday May 31, 2006

Connecticut librarians spoke about their fight to stop the FBI from gaining access to patrons' library records at a news conference yesterday organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and in a subsequent interview with RAW STORY.

The Librarians, members of Library Connection, a not-for profit cooperative organization for resource sharing across 26 Connecticut library branches sharing a centralized computer, were served with a National Security Letter (NSL) in August of last year as part of the FBI's attempt to attain access to patron's records.

The NSL is a little known statute in the Patriot Act that permits law enforcement to obtain records of people not suspected of any wrongdoing and without a court order. As part of the NSL, those served with the document are gagged and prohibited from disclosing that they have even been served.

The foursome of Barbara Bailey, Peter Chase, George Christian, and Jan Nocek were automatically gagged from disclosing that they had received the letter, the contents of the letter, and even from discussions surrounding the Patriot Act.

more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Gagged_librarians_break_silence_on_Patriot_0531.html

[lavenderdiva]

1. Gotta love librarians!

Thank God they are standing up for what's right.

[SmokingJacket]

2. Slightly misleading headline.

The gag order was lifted -- they didn't break it.

I hope our local library speaks up and lets us know what kind of info they gave the govt, if any.

[nickinSTL]

3. they won't...

not unless they're willing to give up funding.

It's unfortunate, and a serious abuse of power (nothing new to Bushco, of course) but - it does leave libraries pretty much stuck...unless they have significant private funding sources.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. Kicked and Recommended

[kpete]

5. Larisa -

On board with the Librarians!

[Coexist]

6. .

What a pair!

[lala_rawraw]

7. Leave no Librarian behind!!:) n/t

[TexasLawyer]

8. Don't piss off the librarians, man...

They are a force to be reckoned with...


http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2002/01/07/moore/index.html

[ArmchairMeme]

9. K & R

Ben Franklin would be proud of how the librarians are taking care of what he started so long ago.

[lvx35]

10. But they say that the library provision was NEVER used!

The WAPO:

The Justice Department said in a letter to Congress this week that the provision has been used only 35 times and has never been used to obtain bookstore, library, medical or gun-sale records. It has been used to obtain records of hotel stays, driver's licenses, apartment leases and credit cards, the letter said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/15/AR2005061501953.html

I mean, the justice department wouldn't LIE would they???? :sarcasm: