[billybudd]

So it begins.

[RJCogburn]

Why does this recall the checking out what movies Judge Bork rented?

[Bobby777]

be especially suspicious of anyone reshelving books out of Dewey Decimal Sequence ... also anyone returning books with late fees and no library card ... hehe ...

[mombonn]

Note to librarians:

You are either with us, or with the terrorists.

Given your track record, I'd like to be pleasantly surprised for once.

[Salman]

Round up everybody who reads Tom Clancy's novels.

[chance33_98]

Over the years I have checked out many math and physics books, books on missle guidance systems, Radio control airplanes, electronics, programming, Tibet, American Indians, Rush Limbaugh, and tons of religious and psychology books. Not to mention those about serial killers and organized crime.

If I fail to post anything in the next few days, worry about me :)

[Asmodeus]

? ?

[Rebelbase]

[Steve Eisenberg]

"Patron information is sacrosanct here. It's nobody's business what you read," said Kari Hanson, director of the Bridgeview Public Library in suburban Chicago.

I liked the old system -- not really that old -- where you wrote your name in a card in the book. What was so terrible about my knowing that, say, the book I was reading had also been read, or at least taken out, by my town's mayor? Occasionally, biographers would use these cards to track down the supposed reading of those they wrote about. This "violation of privacy" did not let others know what we thought, just what we (started to) read. It still is the system in a lot of synogogue (and probably other small) libraries. What is so bad about that?

[concerned about politics]

The FBI is visiting libraries

Darn. I thought it might be presidential libraries. Think of the terrorist ties they could find there!

[VA Advogado]

Krug tells worried librarians who call that they should keep only the records they need and should discard records that would reveal which patron checked out a book and for how long.

She is frustrated by the hate mail she says she receives when she speaks out against the Patriot Act.

This is the same woman, I'm sure, who opposed internet filters in publically financed libraries. What a bunch of sickos. I can't think of people than hate American worse than people like her.

[Momaw Nadon]

Don't worry, everything is going to be alright.

Big Brother is watching you.

[thepitts]

such searches are now legal under the Patriot Act that President Bush signed last October.

scum.

[SSN558]

Dang, I never knew they stopped. Check out about five books on explosives and return them the next week. Then watch your back. Next check out about five books on methamphetine and return them the next week. Then watch your back. Next hit the communist book shelf. You get the picture.

My experience is that the FBI will hire part time criminal justice majors and a few gung ho ROTC to be their eyes. It was good fun to make their eyes pop out.

[mombonn]

Wow, one of the few times a comment of mine has drawn comment!

I support the First Amendment - something I don't believe the librarians of this country do. They support children viewing pornography, etc. - to me that is a distortion of the First Amendment when minors are concerned. Call me Dr. Laura, Jr.

I DON'T support crying "Fire" in an open theatre - I generally LOATHE the tactics of the fbi; but, given a choice between the lesser of two evils, I support the fbi monitoring sites visited by KNOWN terrorists when my tax dollars have allowed these killers to do so.

I'm shocked myself to side with the fbi.

[WaterDragon]

Patron information at libraries sacrosanct? What rot! Go, FBI, and track down those slimy terrorists who think to hide behind our laws!

[Timesink]

Judith Krug, the American Library Association's director for intellectual freedom, said the FBI was treading on the rights it is supposed to be upholding.

So tell me, Ms. Krug. Did you ever get around to studying how many copies of "Stupid White Men" America's "intellectually free" public librarians stocked their shelves with in the last 12 months vs. the number of copies of "Bias"?

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Why are they telling us this? So we will be kept abreast that they are utilizing billions of our dollars, Naaaaaaa.
That they want us to know they are doing SOMETHING? Naaaaaaa.
That in case John Mohhamed Abdul Smith realizes they are seeing that he checked out "How to be gay and fashionable" and "How to win against the IRS"- books.

Yep Houston we have touchdown.

[dcwusmc]

Marvelous. The wonderful USA-PATRIOT act. These people need to be in prison themselves!

[WakeUpChristian]

EU Tax Commissars Target U.S.