ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 14, Number 87
September 1, 2005

In This Issue: Urgent PATRIOT Act Update

In This Issue:  FBI Demands Library Records --Important Community 
Event Opportunity

A newly unsealed federal lawsuit confirms the FBI has used 
controversial PATRIOT Act powers to demand records from an 
organization that possesses a wide array of sensitive information 
about library patrons, including information about Internet usage 
and reading materials borrowed by library patrons.

The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking an emergency court 
order to lift the FBI gag order on the plaintiff, a recipient of a 
National Security Letter, so that the plaintiff--an ALA member--
can participate in the public debate.  That debate will heat up in 
days, as Congress prepares to reauthorize or amend the PATRIOT Act 
in September.

Because of the importance of this issue to libraries and their 
patrons, the American Library Association in collaboration with 
the ACLU is offering to all ALA members the resources to host a 
public event about the PATRIOT Act. We are making immediately 
available to all members and libraries a DVD copy of Beyond the 
PATRIOT Act, the first episode of The ACLU Freedom Files, a
new TV series from producer Robert Greenwald (Unconstitutional, 
Outfoxed).

"Beyond the PATRIOT Act" is a 30-minute program designed to reveal 
how civil liberties affect real people everyday. It features 
stirring accounts of current cases, as well as well-known actors, 
activists and comedians.  All the necessary tools for a successful 
event--publicity templates, invitations, event agendas, PATRIOT 
Act talking points-will also be available.

If you schedule your event on Thursday September 8, you and your 
patrons can join in an 8:30 p.m. EDT or 8:30 p.m. PST  national 
conference call with Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the 
ACLU, to learn the most up-to-date news about this important new 
lawsuit and the status of PATRIOT Act legislation. The call will 
take place after the satellite TV premiere of "Beyond the Patriot 
Act."

To participate in this national happening and order your DVD email
FreedomFiles@activevoice.net, or call (415) 553-2841.

Help protect the First Amendment and our American tradition of 
intellectual freedom. Call your Senators and Congresspeople today 
and ask them to support the Senate version of the PATRIOT 
Reauthorization bill. Capitol switchboard number is: (202) 224-
3121.

Emily Sheketoff
Director, ALA Washington Office


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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, 
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; Web site: 
http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. 
Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Don 
Essex, Joshua Farrelman, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and 
Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick 
Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. 
ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.