IN THE CITY
by Sonja Plummer-Morgan
On October 26th, 2001 the 107th Congress signed into law enacting the USA Patriot Act. Nearly eight years later, Congress must make some choices over the next few months regarding the scheduled December 31st expiration of three highly controversial provisions of the Patriot Act. It’s likely you have already noticed or read that the Patriot Act Reauthorization that could automatically occur on Dec 31st.
Librarians encourage debate, full participation in a democratic society, and we respect your privacy, civil liberties, and your ability to make choices that align with your own ideology. There are at times, however, when we ask you to take added care in your choice making and strive to be sure that you understand fully the ramifications of legislation and have full access to the legislation in question.
Librarians also recognize the need to be good citizens and adhere to professional visions and I write with the intent to inform and point access to the documents that will allow you to review all assertions. It is perhaps a safe assumption that our respective thought processes intersect at the point where we want to keep America safe. I surely do and every one of my colleagues that I work with does as well. It is in this spirit that I present resources for your consideration.
Proponents of the USA Patriot Act and those that favor re-passing the provisions scheduled to sunset believe that the Act is vital to the protection of the American people and that the interpretation of the Constitution gives the government and law enforcement the power it needs to keep America safe. Bipartisan groups of senators across the nation are in fact holding lively discussions.
Some opponents including The Maine Library Association Council in cooperation with partners such as the American Civil Liberties Union passed a Resolution March 14, 2003 called, “Resolution on the USA Patriot Act and Related Measures That Infringe on the Rights of Library Users” after lively discussion and in consideration of our members and constituents’ privacy and civil liberties. Many, many associations and, specifically, library associations across the nation took a similar position and just recently, re-adopted the Resolutions in response to today’s discussions.
There are two or three provisions causing consternation but one in particular has the potential to directly impact our membership and our patrons or guests of our libraries. Section 215 or the “library records” portion allows our Government to obtain “any tangible thing from libraries.” Librarians across the nation are asking for opportunity for full debate before automatically renewing this particular provision.
To learn more about this act, I encourage you to visit your local library. You can also find a copy of the USA Patriot Act and many thoughtful debates and commentary in the following online places: The American Library Association (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/ifissues/usapatriotact.cfm), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, US Department of the Treasury http://www.fincen.gov/statutes_regs/patriot/index.html, and the Library of Congress.
Sonja Plummer-Morgan is the City of Presque Isle’s Librarian. She can be reached at 764-2571 or via e-mail at pimelibrarian@gmail.com.
