I will be attending this conference on the Patriot Act. It is my understanding
that this is nation's first Patriot Act conference on privacy issues in
public libraries.
I oppose any use of governmental power to suppress the free and open exchange
of knowledge and information or to intimidate individuals exercising free
inquiry. I also oppose the misuse of governmental power to intimidate,
suppress, coerce, or compel speech. I will oppose attempts to allow the
Patriot Act to censor information or infringe upon the privacy rights of our
library patrons.
The Patriot Act is a present danger to the constitutional rights and privacy
rights of library users.
The Patriot Act allows the FBI to retrieve any information about you that the
library has. This may include, but is not limited to:
�Books and other materials you've checked out
�Searches you've done on the library computers, including places you've
visited on the Internet
�Books and other materials you've borrowed through interlibrary loan
�When and where you've signed up to use library computers, study rooms,
etc.
�Notes taken by librarians when helping you with a question
Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free
association; and, in a library, the subject of users' interests should not be
examined or scrutinized by others.
The Patriot Act and other recently enacted laws, regulations, and guidelines
increase the likelihood that the activities of library users, including their
use of computers to browse the Web or access e-mail, may be under government
surveillance without their knowledge or consent.
I support user privacy and free and open access to knowledge and information at
the library.
Sign the petition to amend the Patriot Act and protect reader privacy:
http://www.readerprivacy.org/petition.jsp
The Minneapolis Public Library keeps only the minimum number of records
necessary for maintaining operations. Information about your patron record,
research, or other activities at the Minneapolis Public Library is not released
to anyone--including other government agencies, whether local, state or
federal-- without an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.
http://www.mplib.org/patriotactqa.asp
I look forward to the conference.
"Don't let the government read over your shoulder!"
Thank you,
Rod Krueger
Minneapolis Library Board / MELSA Trustee / Nokomis East
www.rodkrueger.org
---------------------------------------
Registration for the Conference on Libraries & the Patriot Act continues
through this Wednesday, May 11th. Registration information can be found
at www.mnlibraryassociation.org. For further information call Regional
Research Associations at (612) 925-0749 or the Minnesota Library
Association at (651) 641-0982.
Deborah Morse-Kahn, M.A., Director
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