Library forces FBI to get warrant first

[kpete]

Library forces FBI to get warrant first
Terror threat sparked standoff over search of computer records.

City demands warrant in FBI investigation

By Dan Atkinson/ Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Law enforcement and Newton Free Library officials were embroiled in a tense standoff for nearly 10 hours last week when the city refused to let police and the FBI examine library computers without a warrant.

Police rushed to the main library last Wednesday after it was determined that a terrorist threat to Brandeis University had been sent from a computer at the library.

But requests to examine any of its computers were rebuffed by library Director Kathy Glick-Weil and Mayor David Cohen on the grounds that they did not have a warrant.

While one law enforcement official said he was "totally disgusted" with the city’s attempt to hold up a time-sensitive investigation of potential terrorist threat, Cohen is defending the library’s actions, calling it one of Newton’s "finest hours."

"We showed you can enforce the law ... without jeopardizing the privacy of innocent citizens," Cohen said.

http://www2.townonline.com/newton/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=414573&format=text

[hopein08]

1. Go Newton Free Library...

I hope every library has the guts to do that!!!

[lostexpectation]

16. So who sent the threat

was the time of the threat not passed and how often are multiple buildings evacuted over email threats

[William769]

2. Good for him!

[LostinVA]

3. Damn! I love my profession

[MountainLaurel]

9. Amen!

I wonder if they need any new staff?

[LostinVA]

18. KICK ASS LIBRARIANS

The unknown sub culture!

[DemInDistress]

4. bravo....more more give me more....

finally people with a backbone...best news I heard all day...terror threat my ass...we AMERICANS have more to fear from our own government than 1 million osama's fucking rats they are..shitheads...
its why I love DU,,I can curse freely for the time being.

sorry DU-er's for my tone and language. I'm crazy today

[Sparkman]

5. Librarians! Who the hell needs professional "INVESTIGATORS" who don't

understand FUNDAMENTAL legal requirements in the U.S. Once again, proof positive that Fascists in this government have no idea of what they're up against...the professional Librarian Guards of Liberty!!

[annabanana]

6. Hurrah for the Great Librarian Revolt

........on the front lines, preserving our Liberties in the face of stiff odds.

[Sparkman]

7. Librarians! Who the hell needs professional "INVESTIGATORS" who don't

understand FUNDAMENTAL legal requirements in the U.S. Once again, proof positive that
Fascists in this government have no idea of what they're up against...the professional Librarian
Guards of Liberty!!

[LiviaOlivia]

8. Best thing I read all day. Bravo!

eom

[Just Me]

10. Imagine that: librarians protecting us rather than those elected/appointed

,...to do so.

Citizens MUST take charge of this nation. Seriously. WE are our only protection from oppression now.

[atommom]

13. I'd trust a librarian over a politician any day.

Even the few crazy librarians aren't as crazy as the mainstream Repubs.

[Angry Girl]

15. Except Laura Bush, of course, who can't even spell "hatered" or "committ"

At least she claims she was a librarian. Just like her husband never went AWOL....

[atommom]

17. She certainly couldn't have been a working librarian very long.

Somehow I have trouble picturing her doing the actual work.

[Synnical]

11. This is Massachusetts?

I'm guessing from some of the links from the home page of the link provided. . .

Good for them! Bravo! Don't fuck with the Librarians, as we know from Micheal Moore's experience.

Nominated.

[Sydnie]

25. We;ve already been through the "Banned in Boston" crap

we're not playing anymore!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

12. The one thing I REALLY love about libraries is

freepers are allergic to them.

The library is the last refuge of the intelligent mind.

[MountainLaurel]

14. Unfortunately, that's not entirely true

They like to come by and scream about how their precious Brittany was in the library and saw a *whisper* boobie *whisper* in an encyclopedia that was right there out in the open, and what are we going to do about their traumatized 15-year-old. They also like to drop in to take all the books on wicca and Buddhism and other occult activities and hide them in above the ceiling tiles in the women's bathroom to save the youth of America from the evils of meditation. Oh, and no children's books in Spanish -- no catering to "those people" should be happening with "their" tax money.

[CrackpotAmerica]

19. Libraries are often America's Unsung Heroes

Thank god Laura Bush isn't involved with one anymore!

:recommended:

[tanyev]

20. Booyah! Kick for the awesome librarians!

[Orangeone]

21. What's the point?

Terrorists can read a book in the library and just take notes, without checking the book out or buying the book at the bookstore with cash.

[Hardrada]

28. Just xerox pertinent pages. No clue there either.

Hey guys, don't bother to thank me!

[MountainLaurel]

29. It didn't have to do with books at all

They wanted to remove one of the public workstations, because a threat had been traced back to that IP address. Presumably they wanted to do some forensic computing work to determine who the user of that machine at that particular time was. Depending on how the library dealt with patron signups, that could be easy or almost impossible. If they require users to login with their library card number, fairly easy to see who was using computer #5 at 3:37 p.m. on Thursday, Janaury 12. If they use a paper sign in, and if they throw away the sign-in sheets after recording the daily statistics, almost impossible.

[NYC]

22. Congratulations to the library!

I love libraries.

Interesting link:

http://www.librarian.net/

[Burried News]

23. I wonder if Lt. Bookman is ok with this? Thinking Seinfeld here.

[north houston dem]

24. Kick for us librarians!

O8)

[LiviaOlivia]

26. Kick again

:)

[struggle4progress]

27. Editorial: The city was right to demand a warrant

... We don't have all the details, because the FBI and police have declined to comment. But from what the city has said, someone sent an e-mail from the library threatening Brandeis University. City and state police, plus the FBI, showed up at the library demanding to look at the computers. But Library Director Kathy Glick-Weil and Mayor David Cohen refused to let them until they obtained an official warrant.

It wasn't until nearly 10 hours later that the warrant was approved, and only then did the city comply with the request.

We don't know the extent to which investigators considered time to be a factor, nor if the person who sent the e-mail would have been caught had the city complied quickly.

But no one should expect the city to hand over material that could be used to invade people's privacy without going through the proper legal channels ...

http://www2.townonline.com/newton/opinion/view.bg?articleid=414572