One of the biggest controversies involved in the Patriot Act has been the right of the FBI to visit a library and demand records of books checked out by certain patrons. Libraries have very strict rules AGAINST sharing that kind of information with anyone. Part of intellectual freedom, privacy, and all that. So when the FBI has shown up at a library demanding to see a list of materials checked out by certain patrons, the librarians naturally get up in arms. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI has made more than 200 such requests from libraries. Sometimes it’s a list of people who borrowed a particular book.

I’m happy to say that last week the House of Representatives voted to amend the version of the Patriot Act being renewed to NOT allow searches of libraries or bookstores by withholding funds from that kind of action.

Rep. Sanders of Vermont offered the following amendment (which was approved): “An amendment numbered 15 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit funds in the bill from being used to implement provisions of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act which permits searches of library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, or book customer lists under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).”

Hopefully this will continue into the official renewal and provide at least SOME privacy/freedom in this most traditional of situations.

Plenty of news on the Patriot Act is available at NPR and the ALA (American Library Association) has a nicely organized blog about it also.

Current music: Mozart Violin Concerto #5