Vermont Librarians Convince Congressman
to Defend Reader Privacy
U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a press conference December 20 in which he promised to introduce legislation in late January that, if passed, would rescind the federal government’s access to library and bookstore records under the USA Patriot Act. Speaking at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, Sanders said, “There can be no question that we must protect Americans against terrorists. But that does not mean that we have to give the federal government the right to monitor what Americans are reading at their local library or what books they are buying at their local bookstore.”
Joining Sanders was Vermont Library Association President Karen Lane, VLA Immediate Past President Trina Magi, and New England Booksellers Association President Linda Ramsdell. Joel Barkin, a spokesperson for Sanders, told American Libraries that the congressman became interested in the library provisions of the Patriot Act after receiving an October 21 letter from the VLA that implored the state’s congressional delegation to “eliminate provisions in the USA Patriot Act that undermine Americans’ constitutionally guaranteed right to read.” Thrilled by Sanders’s response to the letter, Magi told AL, “At the most, we’d hoped to get a letter back saying ‘Thanks, and we share your concerns.’”
Barkin predicted that “the possibility for serious bipartisan support is good” for the bill because “there are a lot of conservatives interested in this.”
Posted December 23, 2002.
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