Santa Cruz Libraries Post Warnings About US Patriot Act

www.kcbs.com/pages/kcbs/news/news_story.nsp

2003-03-10

(KCBS) - Libraries in Santa Cruz are taking a stand against the US Patriot
Act.
KCBS reporter Jim Taylor says warnings have been posted about what can
happen to your information if you use the public library.

The Patriot Act allows the federal government to secretly procure your local
library's records, enabling checks on what books you may read and what
internet sites you may visit.

"Our concern about the Patriot Act is that it really takes away
constitutional rights that people have to privacy and a number of the Bill
of Rights," said Santa Cruz City Councilman Mike Rotkin. "The Federal
Government can come in and get lists of who's been checking out what books,
who's been going to what places on the internet, things like that. We think
that really has a chilling effect on people's right to get information,
which shouldn’t really be happening."

Librarians are prohibited from telling patrons if their library records have
been accessed, so all Santa Cruz libraries have posted signs warning users
of the possibility.

"We think it's best that our patrons know what's going on," said Rotkin. "In
the Patriot Act it says for example if the library is asked for information
about someone, they're not allowed to disclose that they were asked for
information or that they'd given it out. We thought people should be aware
of that."

"They still can see or look for whatever they'd like to get, but we think
the disclosure's important," he said.

The Santa Cruz librarian has developed a clever way of getting around the
Act. At each monthly board meeting she announces there have been no search
warrants served. If she ever fails to make that announcement, it will be a
tip that the government has asked about someone.