Contact: Larra Clark
Media Relations Manager
312-280-5043
lclark@ala.org
For Immediate Release
November 10, 2004
In wake of Ashcroft departure, American Library Association renews call for
return to privacy protections
(CHICAGO) As President Bush prepares for a second term and is making new appointments to his cabinet, the American Library Association (ALA) is calling for the President to nominate and Congress to confirm an Attorney General who can successfully balance national security with respect for civil liberties.
"The departure of John Ashcroft from the position of Attorney General provides a fresh opportunity to review the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, improve public accountability on how these new powers are being used and begin a real dialogue about how to balance national security and privacy rights in America's libraries," said ALA President Carol Brey-Casiano. "This law was passed at breakneck speed in the wake of an American tragedy. Now is the time to make necessary corrections."
The ALA has been a leading voice seeking to amend Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. Among the many changes in U.S. law and practice enabled by the act is the federal government's ability to override the traditional protections of library reading records that exist in every state. These laws provide a clear framework for responding to national security concerns while safeguarding against random searches, fishing expeditions or invasions of privacy.
"The right to read freely in our nation's libraries is grounded in the belief that people must be able to access information and ideas without fear of reprisal," Brey-Casiano said. "When librarians fight against provisions of the PATRIOT Act, we're fighting for the public."
In September, the ALA and other members of the book community presented to Congress petitions with more than 170,000 signatures gathered in the Campaign for Reader Privacy, www.readerprivacy.org. Efforts to amend Section 215 have drawn bipartisan support in Congress and in hundreds of cities and counties nationwide.
For more information on the PATRIOT Act and libraries, please visit www.ala.org/espy and www.ala.org/oif/ifissues/usapatriotact.