ALA Urges Congress to Reform Laws Governing Use of National Security
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ISSN 0028-9485 September 2007 Vol. LVI No. 5 www.ala.org/nif The American Library Association’s Council unanimously passed a resolution con- demning the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) to obtain library records and urging Congress to pursue immediate reforms of NSL procedures (see text of resolution on page 176). The resolution, adopted at the 2007 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., arose out of ALA’s concerns over the misuse and abuse of NSLs detailed in the March 2007 report submitted to Congress by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. The report described how the FBI engaged in widespread and serious abuses of ALA urges Congress its authority to use NSLs, including significantly understating the number of NSLs used to reform laws by the FBI in the classified reports given to Congress; using NSLs to collect consumer information, a practice prohibited by statute; and circumventing the requirements of the governing use of NSL statute to obtain information in the absence of any duly authorized investigation. National Security The resolution also supported George Christian’s appeal to Congress to reconsider the NSL authorities that allow the FBI to subject innocent people to fishing expeditions Letters of their personal information with no judicial review. Christian, executive director of the Library Connection in Windsor, Connecticut, testified before Congress on behalf of him- self and his colleagues, librarians Janet Nocek, Barbara Bailey, and Peter Chase, about their experience in being served with an NSL to obtain library users’ records and being gagged from discussing it. In his testimony, Christian asked the Senators “to take special note of the uses and abuses of NSLs in libraries and bookstores and other places where higher First Amendment standards should be considered.” The four—known as the “Connecticut John (continued on page 229) Published by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, Kenton L. Oliver, Chair I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ................................181 in this issue The Perks of Being a Wallflower ...................................184 Snow Falling on Cedars ................................................181 ALA urges reform of NSLs ...........................................173 Tintin in the Congo ........................................................188 Trouble on Tarragon Island [Canada] ...........................214 IFC report to ALA Council ............................................175 Vamos a Cuba ................................................................178 ALA resolution on NSLs ...............................................176 periodical Collegian [Kansas St. U.] ..............................................194 fostering media diversity in libraries .............................177 Louisville Courier-Journal ............................................201 Riverfront Times .............................................................181 FTRF report to ALA Council ........................................178 plays The Laramie Project ......................................................185 Senate committee asks EPA to reopen libraries ............179 The Vagina Monologues ................................................185 judges criticizes wiretap program ..................................179 new ALSC publication helps kids understand IF ..........179 Norma Gabler dies at 84 ................................................180 censorship dateline: libraries, schools, ........................181 colleges and universities, bookstores, art, foreign from the bench: U.S. Supreme Court, library, ..............189 colleges and universities, broadcasting, Internet, government secrecy, terrorism, yard signs, commercial speech is it legal?: schools, colleges and universities, ............197 publishing, church and state, national security letters Views of contrubutors to the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom are not necessarily those of the editors, the Intellectual Freedom Committee, or the American Library Association. success stories: libraries, schools, ................................205 student press, art (ISSN 0028-9485) Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom is published bimonthly (Jan., Mar., May, July, Sept., Nov.) by the American Library Association, targets of the censor 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. The newsletter is also avail- able online at www.ala.org/nif. Subscriptions: $70 per year (print), books which includes annual index; $50 per year (electronic); and $85 Academy X .....................................................................185 per year (both print and electronic). For multiple subscriptions Alms for Jihad ................................................................202 to the same address, and for back issues, please contact the Beloved ...........................................................................181 Office for Intellectual Freedom at 800-545-2433, ext. 4223 or [email protected]. Editorial mail should be addressed to the Office of The Brimstone Journals .................................................205 Intellectual Freedom, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, Illinois 60611. The Chocolate War ........................................................181 Periodical postage paid at Chicago, IL at additional mailing Dancing at the Rascal Fair ...........................................181 offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Newsletter on Fallen Angels .................................................................181 Intellectual Freedom, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. 174 Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom IFC report to ALA Council The IFC suggested edits to indicate: The following is the text of the Intellectual Freedom ● library and information studies should include a com- Committee’s report to the ALA Council presented by prehension of the profession’s core values and prin- IFC Chair Kenton Oliver on June 27 at the ALA Annual ciples, including the Library Bill of Rights and the Code Conference in Washington, D.C. of Ethics; The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is ● the library schools’ program objectives should reflect pleased to present this update of its activities. the philosophy, principles, and ethics of the library field, including intellectual freedom, equity of access, and legal and ethical use of information and the role of the Information library in the development and endorsement of intellec- Fostering Media Diversity in Libraries tual freedom; In June 2003, when the Federal Communications ● the curriculum should provide information literacy and Commission (FCC) decided to relax a variety of media foundational principles concerning intellectual freedom, ownership regulations, many concerns were raised about equity of access, privacy, and the legal and ethical use of media concentration, especially by those wanting to uphold information, and emphasize the role of the library in the the principles of diversity and localism. development and endorsement of intellectual freedom; At the 2003 Annual Conference, ALA Council adopted and “New FCC Rules and Media Concentration” (www.ala. ● curriculum evaluation should include assessment of org/ala/oif/statementspols/ifresolutions/newfccrulesmedia. students’ successful completion of all learning outcomes htm), opposing rules changes related to media ownership defined for the program. caps and cross-ownership rules that would encourage fur- ther media concentration. The IFC looks forward to a greater inclusion of the Following that Annual Conference, the IFC established subjects of intellectual freedom and ethics in library and the FCC Rules and Media Ownership Subcommittee. information studies. Subsequently, its name was changed to Impact of Media Concentration on Libraries. It was charged to examine the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Tool Kit impact of these mergers on intellectual freedom, access to This new resource (www.ala.org/ala/oif/iftoolkits/glbt- information, and diversity of opinion in local communities, toolkit/glbttoolkit.htm) was created by the GLBT Round and to review how libraries could counter the effects of Table and the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) and media consolidation by identifying innovative ways that is mounted on the OIF Web site. It is designed to help librar- libraries provide materials and information presenting all ians understand the importance of having inclusive collec- points of view. tions and programs, and to provide challenge support. To fulfill its charge, the subcommittee developed “Fostering Media Diversity in Libraries: Strategies and Strategic Thinking Actions.” This guideline is designed to provide libraries, At its 2006 spring meeting, the Intellectual Freedom library consortia, and library networks with a centralized Committee (IFC) discussed how it could strategically list of strategies and actions to help them fulfill one of their place itself in ALA, how it could spend more of its time key responsibilities: to provide access to a diverse collec- and energy helping to create direction for ALA, and how tion of resources and services. Special attention has been it could continue bringing in other ALA units’ expertise on given to the acquisition of and access to small, indepen- its projects as well as ensure collegial reciprocity. Lists of dent, and alternative sources—including locally produced strategies were prepared. At the 2007 Conference, the com- ones—in all formats, including print, audio/visual media, mittee discussed OIF staff’s review of the strategies