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American Library Association Condemns Attack by Former Attorney General
Edwin Meese; Calls for Open Debate of PATRIOT Act Powers
Tuesday September 30, 4:34 pm ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Library Association (ALA)
condemned the ad hominem attack on librarians made by former Attorney
General Edwin Meese III this morning on The Today Show and reiterated its
commitment to ensure the historic protections of privacy and
confidentiality of Americans' reading records.

"Similar to our current Attorney General, Mr. Meese chose to malign
librarians rather than address the real and substantive concerns of
millions of Americans and members of Congress," said ALA President Carla
Hayden. "Whether or not the government is using the expanded powers
provided by the USA PATRIOT Act in libraries, we must ask: Should the
government have the power to obtain Americans' reading and other personal
records without showing probable cause?

"Libraries are a cornerstone of American democracy, and librarians have
dedicated our lives to assisting library users find the best and most
appropriate resources for their needs. As information professionals, we
know that fear comes from a lack of information," she continued. "The ALA
stands ready to openly discuss and debate the fundamental concerns at
stake as we seek to balance national security concerns with the
constitutional protections that make this country a beacon for freedom and
democracy.

"Legislators and the general public can be assured that traditional legal
protections extended to library records are not an obstacle to ensuring
national security, and we hope Congress will restore the historic
protections of library records and pass one of the legislative remedies
currently proposed," Hayden added.

For more information on the PATRIOT Act and libraries, please visit
www.ala.org/espy and www.ala.org/oif/ifissues/usapatriotact .