Bill Would Weaken Patriot Act in Libraries

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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 07/01/2003

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Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) recently introduced legislation to exempt libraries and bookstores from certain provisions of the USA Patriot Act, a 2001 antiterrorism law that gives the FBI easier access to public library records, such as library book checkouts and Internet use, without a warrant.

Boxer's Library and Bookseller Protection Act specifically requests the "exclusion of libraries from authorities on access to telephone and transactional records for counterintelligence purposes" and would require investigators to obtain a court-ordered warrant before conducting a search.

Congressman Bernard Sanders (I-VT) introduced similar legislation to the House in March. The Library and Bookseller Protection Act has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the American Library Association is urging library advocates to ask their senators to cosponsor the bill.—D. L. W.