Association  of  Jewish  Libraries  of Southern  California

 
[Below] Cindy O'Connor (right) with
Program Co-Chairs, Enid Sperber
and Haim Gottschalk

USA Patriot Act, among other things, refers to government representatives accessing confidential library patron records, etc.  At our Oct. 20 meeting, we listened to the following experts and received some resources to help understand the laws, which affect all of our libraries:

 •  Cindy O'Connor, President, Los Angeles League of Women Voters, focused on the Patriot Act background and suggested these sources:
 
A Guide to the Patriot Act; should you be scared of the Patriot Act?  by Dahlia Lithwick and Julia Turner, Slate (online magazine), September 8, 2003ff.  (in 4 parts)  <http://www.slate.msn.com/id/2087984>
American Civil Liberties Union   - <http://www.aclu.org>  [ALA Updates]

   •  Nancy O'Neill, Principal Librarian, Reference Services, Santa Monica Public Library, focused on the affect of the Patriot Act on libraries.  She based her presentation on her slide show, and shared her experiences and procedures.  Her recommended websites are:          
 
American Library Association   <http://www.ala.org> - Issues & Advocacy
Library Law.com    <http://www.librarylaw.com>  -  Privacy & Libraries
California Library Association    <http://www.cla-net.org> -  Advocacy/Legislation
Librarians Index to the Internet    <http://www.lii.org> -  The USA Patriot Act
LLRX    <http://www.llrx.com>   Search "patriot act"