U.S. Ends a Yearlong Effort to Obtain Library Records Amid Secrecy in Connecticut

The New York Times ^ | June 27, 2006 | By ALISON LEIGH COWAN

[aculeus]

After fighting for nearly a year to keep details of a counterterrorism investigation secret, the federal government has abandoned efforts to obtain library records in Connecticut, concluding that the implied threat had no merit.

The decision was hailed yesterday as a victory by the four Connecticut librarians who mounted one of the few known challenges to the nation's strengthened antiterrorism law when they filed a lawsuit last summer objecting to the government's request for patron records and its insistence on absolute secrecy.

Government officials, in seeking to explain why something that was once a matter of national security was no longer worth the fight, explained in interviews that they were ultimately able to discount the threat using other means and pronounce their investigation complete. They also warned that the highly publicized standoff should not be a cause of celebration for anyone.

"They're celebrating the fact they don't have to comply, and I don't think that's something that should be celebrated," said Kevin O'Connor, the United States attorney for Connecticut, referring to the librarians. "What are you celebrating? You're celebrating the fact that you prevented the government from investigating a potential terrorist threat."

[snip]

The librarians, who are associated with a consortium of libraries known as Library Connection in Windsor, Conn., announced the surprising turn of events yesterday at a librarians' convention in New Orleans, where they received a standing ovation.

[GrandEagle]

They also warned that the highly publicized standoff should not be a cause of celebration for anyone.
After all, if you have nothing to hide.......

[Red Badger]

When a terrorist blows up a library full of school children they will dance in the streets celebrating the fact that they have made it possible...........

[mewzilla]

The librarians, who are associated with a consortium of libraries known as Library Connection in Windsor, Conn...

Sigh. They don't make Nutmeggers like they used to.

[ishabibble]

I've been posting for awhile about the insidious dangers of all the Arab Muslim gas stations here in the NorthEast.
Today in Kirkuk, a terrorist blew up a gas station. At least 15 people killed, and the news report also mentioned the number of cars destroyed. What is it with the nutty Muslims killing cars?
Anyway, it is only a matter of time before this ignored threat to our national security grows to the point where it is unmanageable. BOYCOTT ARAB MUSLIM BUSINESSES.

p.s. Even if these people don't get a single customer for months, they have the Muslim Mafia money to bankroll them. That would be the Muslim charity money that keeps the creepy Muslim stores operating when they quite obviously have no profit in their stores and gas stations.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Of course, the same kind of trolling through library records was used in the Thomas confirmation hearings.

[khnyny]

Ping

[Master Shake]

More "brave" lefties doing their best to get other people killed.

[Mini-14]

Searching library records is as useful as registering gun owners. The only people to comply are those who are law-abiding citizens. If a terrorist wants to get information from a library, all they have to do is walk in the library and STEAL THE BOOK. I used to work in a public library and it was common knowledge that non-terrorists would steal materials all the time. Searching library circulation records is simply big brother snooping into the reading habits of law-abiding citizens.

I used to work at a library, and did a lot of design work for a majory software systems vendor. One of the features the software had was to purge circulation records from the system.

I highly recommend that libraries purge their circulation records on a regular basis.

[SmoothTalker]

"If a terrorist wants to get information from a library, all they have to do is walk in the library and STEAL THE BOOK"

Or just read it in the library.

[GrandEagle]

Ad the problem is?
After all, if you had nothing to hide, why would it matter?
(/Sheeple mode)

[GrandEagle]

Ad AND the problem is
Well placed sarcasm loses its effect when improperly spelled. :)

GE

[plan2succeed.org]

Thanks again, khnyny.

Several things going one here. First, typical for the New York Times, the important information was buried near the end of the article. Second, recent events have proven the New York Times works to thwart US efforts to stop terrorism, even where 2 years earlier the NYT in an editorial criticized the feds for not connecting the financial dots. Now they criticize them for doing what they criticized them for not doing 2 years ago. There is no more effective terrorist media outlet un the USA than the NYT. The NYT alone may have done more damage to national security than all terrorists alive or dead put together.

Now, speaking of thwarting efforts to stop terrorists and instead assisting them wherever possible, along comes the American Library Association. The buried nugget of truth in the NYT was that this is what the ALA blocked: "Somebody got on a library's computer and sent a message to a government agency saying, 'I'm telling you about this terrorist threat,'" John Miller, assistant director for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, said yesterday." So the guy contacted the government and now the ALA seeks to prevent access to a guy's identity who voluntarily contacted the government -- not just any old shmoe, mind you -- but the guy who actually contacted the government with a warning about a terrorist plot and who might expect someone in the government to actually respond.

The ALA prevented the feds from finding who sent that message from a library computer to the feds reporting a potential terrorist incident. This is what's got the ALA cheering -- they prolonged the time it took for the feds to respond to this matter, they actively blocked the acqusition of this information despite federal law, and they endangered everyone here in the USA.

Speaking of Safe Libraries, the ALA is actually standing in the way of everyone's safety everywhere in the USA AND THEY ARE PROUD OF HAVING VIOLATED THE LAW! Whose side is the ALA on? We are talking about librarians, mind you, not the judiciary, the legislature, or the executive branches of government. Who are they to defy US law? Should they get a name change to TLA - Terrorist Library Association?

SafeLibraries.org - Are Children Safe in Public Libraries?

[khnyny]

Thanks for explaining what is really going on with this issue. Your post was very informative.

["Somebody got on a library's computer and sent a message to a government agency saying, 'I'm telling you about this terrorist threat,'" John Miller, assistant director for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, said yesterday."]

So, because of the obstruction by the ALA, our intelligence services have not been able to trace and/or interview the source of the message. That's bad folks, that's very, very bad.

[ClaireSolt]

I am wondering how libraries are funded. Everytime they cut the hours I wonder why they don't just charge a user fee. I save hundreds of $'s every year by borrowing books rather than buying them, but I see no reason why those of us who use the library should not pay for it.

[plan2succeed.org]

Libraries are usually funded through local taxes, sometimes federal. So everyone already pays for them. However, as a direct result of the extremist ALA, our local tax money is being used to thwart our federal tax money.

[ClaireSolt]

The feds should withdraw fed money. It is amazing, really, how separate from reality and higher than thou bureaucrats get. I saw it in schools. They eschew any money from commerce. Ridiculous.

[Burkean]

I attended the conference in New Orleans--I am a university librarian. I went to a session on the Patriot Act and the man from Library Connections spoke from the audience.

My main concern about the session, and one that I will address to ALA, is that the focus was all about how to resist an investigation. Nothing was mentioned about what the investigation might be trying to uncover or prevent, nothing was mentioned about how to cooperate with authorities while still maintaining confidentiality of patron records. It was all about mindlessly resisting.

[plan2succeed.org]

Correct. But it is not mindlessly. If it were mindless, then half of the time it would support Americans and half the time it would not. That is not the case. They, ALA leadership now, not librarians in general, are single mindedly and relentlessly pushing an agenda that is so closely aligned with the ACLU that the ALA and the ACLU often work together on the common goals. And we all know the goals of the ACLU, right?

By the way, American citizens need more librarians like you, willing to speak truth to ALA power. I am concerned that if you push too hard, too fast, they will take vindictive action against you to isolate you so the public will not hear what you say. Please be very careful and get all your ducks in order. If you need anything, please let us know -- such as a web page to get your point across.

[Burkean]

One thing I have been mulling over is doing a study of court cases in which library records have been used as evidence (after being collected with proper warrants, etc.) I have read about one case where a woman was poisoned and her husband's borrowing records included several books on poisons. The records were legally collected and used to convict him. I think librarians should be aware that there are times when librarians and law enforcement should work in concert for the public good.

But I also believe that under normal circumstances patron records should be confidential. A spouse should be able to research divorce without his or her partner finding out. I'm less clear on children's issues since I only work with adults. Children should be afforded some privacy (especially if they are borrowing nothing more than children's books) but parents also have a right and a responsibility to monitor what their children read. I guess they could best do this by accompanying them to the library and not just dropping them off like the place is a baby sitter.