[WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries

[Griffin, Jackie]

For me, this is not about whether or not the FBI is capable of handling the
information.  
This is about what I do for a living.  I make information available to
people.
 I help them fill their needs.  I help kids do their homework but I also
help
kids find abortion clinics.  I have given people the Anarchist's Cookbook, I
have given them "Final Exit".  When I give them those books, do I think that
they are going to commit a crime, or write a research paper?  I don't think
about their motives.  I think about giving them the information they need.
No
where in my job description or that of any of my staff does it say that we
are
the monitors of what people need or their reasons for needing it.
To answer the previous question...if I had a map of the water resevoirs in
my
community and 3 Middle Eastern men asked me for it, I would give it to them
and think no more of it.  To do what was suggested, is to profile.  I don't
believe in it for the police, I don't believe in it for me.  
I will follow the law.  If supoenaed my library will respond legally (had to
do this the other day).  But, I will fight against those laws.  And, I
definitely won't help our country become the kind of place where we inform
against each other out of fear.



Jackie Griffin
Director of Library Services
Berkeley Public Library
Berkeley. CA
510-644-6095

>>> N. Lynn Schlatter 06/03/02 02:46PM >>>


-----Original Message-----
From: N. Lynn Schlatter [mailto:lschlatt at smlnet.sml.lib.la.us] 
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 4:44 PM
To: PAUL.GRAY at tccd.net 
Subject: RE: [WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries


Those of us who are still-and-forever hippies have a different perspective:
federal authorities *had* at least some of the information necessary to
predict the 9/11 attacks, and tragically misused it.  Hence, we're not
convinced that they can be trusted to not misuse other information they
obtain.  Why, they might just start rounding up people of Arab descent and
throwing them in jail.  Oh wait....

Starting to think the FBI just needs to hire some information professionals,
I remain,
Lynn Schlatter
Instructional Coordinator
Shreve Memorial Library
www.shreve-lib.org 


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org 
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of GRAY, PAUL
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 2:42 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries


Implying no value judgement toward anyone on this list -- or anywhere else
for that matter.

But am I the only one who finds the following a bit interesting or even
dryly humorous ???

We have folks attacking the FBI, CIA and anyone else who might have known or
even suspected or daydreamed something that  - might - have prevented 9/11

Many of these same people  -- or people of essentially the same
political/philosophical bent --
Are more than willing to do whatever they can to prevent these agencies from
acquiring the very information that might have helped.

Hey  - even a burned out old hippie turned conservative can have a sense of
humor.
PHG





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