[WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries

[Andrew K. Pace]

Mary Beth,
Read Thomas Dowling's message that followed yours.  This is not libref.  Calling
ourselves IT, techies, non-librarian library staff, or "just a webmaster" does
not grant us immunity from these issues.  I hope Roy and the list agree that
these issues are related enough to merit discussion on this list.  Like any
thread, it will run its course, but as an IT Librarian, I can tell you that this
means a lot more to me than the latest Netscape display problem.  The people on
this list are the people keeping the servers, the logs, and the records that law
enforcement are going to be interested in.  We're talking about a lot more than
patron records here.  I might not have a local law that requires me to keep web
logs, so if doing so might somehow violate the privacy of my users, then why
should I keep them?  Now, simply knowing my local law might not be enough.  The
PATRIOT Act and the new powers extended to the FBI supersede those laws.

* A patron wants to know that their study in a library is private
* A patron wants to know that the library is not looking (or allowing someone to
look) over his shoulder.
* When a patron wants to look at the map that shows where the local water supply
is, there is only one answer a librarian can give: "It's over here, let me show
you."
* A patron needs to know that even Library IT is still "the library."
* A patron deserves to know when technology used in the library might affect
their expectations of any of the above.

That's pretty black and white to me,
Andrew

Mary Beth Faccioli wrote:

> Actually, your profession does not hold you to
> breaking the law.  In the wake of 9/11 ALA came out
> encouraging libraries to know their local laws
> regarding these issues so we could all comply
> appropriately.  If only the issue was as black and
> white as it sounds in this thread...  (I feel like
> this is libref suddenly)
>
> Mary Beth Faccioli
> Georgia State University Pullen Library
>
> --- "Andrew K. Pace" <andrew_pace at ncsu.edu> wrote:
> > ALA Code of Ethics
> > III.
> > We protect each library user's right to privacy and
> > confidentiality with
> > respect to information sought or received and
> > resources consulted,
> > borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
> >
> > I don't care much about what any court has said.
> > This is what my profession
> > holds me to.
> > *Anyone* should have a reasonable expectation of
> > privacy for *anything* they do
> > in a library.
> > We should know this in our sleep,
> > Andrew
> >
> > "Cantona, Eric" wrote:
> >
> > > I don't know of a single case in which the Supreme
> > Court (or lower) has
> > > ruled that there is a reasonable expectation of
> > privacy in the use of a
> > > public computer.
> > >
> > > Anyone else?
> > > EC
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Andrew K. Pace [mailto:andrew_pace at ncsu.edu]
> > > Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 3:27 PM
> > > To: Multiple recipients of list
> > > Subject: [WEB4LIB] FBI to monitor libraries
> > >
> > >
> >
> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020530/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe
> > > /fbi_reorganizing_40
> > >
> > > Interesting that we have been on a thread of OPAC
> > logs.  Is everyone ready
> > > to turn those logs over to the FBI?  Better get
> > the web logs, proxy, and
> > > patron records out while we're at it.  Is there a
> > patron field or web
> > > server log delineation for "foreigner?"  It's
> > always refreshing to see
> > > professional ethics described as "bureaucratic
> > restrictions."
> > >
> > > That was sarcasm, just in case anyone has mistaken
> > my ethical concern for
> > > sympathy with Mr. Ashcroft's new plans ;)
> > >
> > > -Andrew
> > >
> > > --
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > Andrew K. Pace, M.S.L.S.
> > > Head, Systems ~ NCSU Libraries
> > > North Carolina State University ~ Raleigh, NC
> > > andrew_pace at ncsu.edu ~ 919-515-3087
> > > http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/pace/
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> > --
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Andrew K. Pace, M.S.L.S.
> > Head, Systems ~ NCSU Libraries
> > North Carolina State University ~ Raleigh, NC
> > andrew_pace at ncsu.edu ~ 919-515-3087
> > http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/pace/
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >
> >
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
> http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew K. Pace, M.S.L.S.
Head, Systems ~ NCSU Libraries
North Carolina State University ~ Raleigh, NC
andrew_pace at ncsu.edu ~ 919-515-3087
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/pace/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~