[WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries

[Dobbs, Aaron]

We all can see how a records retention policy faithfully followed, if you
believe the Executive called by the defense, by Arthur Andersen is burning
them in court.  We'll see if they survive on that argument.  
True, deleting our web logs isn't of the same scope as the Enron debacle.
However, the question isn't of magnitude but of intent; the bulk deletion of
existing logs to prevent properly executed law enforcement action is
obstruction of justice in most jurisdictions.
I suspect existing policies, regularly followed, calling for deletion of
outdated logs will find more understanding than hastily (or deliberately)
created or modified policies that seem to be expressly for deleting
potentially harmful "evidence".
ALA's Patron Bill of Rights is a professional/ethical/moral statement not a
legal one.  Sure some state laws exist for protection of that kind of data
but in this new red scare zeitgeist who do you think will get the bad press:
the FBI chasing down suspected terrorists or those nasty librarians trying
to protect the perpetrators?

-Aaron
:-)'


-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Kuntz [mailto:jkuntz at ansernet.rcls.org]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 9:17 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: FBI to monitor libraries


I'm wondering if this will change any library procedures about keeping
archives of their web server logs, backup tapes of their circ systems,
etc....if the archiving is limited would that discourage the FBI?


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Raymond Wood <raywood at magma.ca>
Reply-To: raywood at magma.ca
Date:  Fri, 31 May 2002 06:57:21 -0700 (PDT)

>Hear, hear...
>
>Cheers,
>Raymond
>
>On Fri, May 31, 2002 at 06:47:44AM -0700, Andrew K. Pace remarked:
>> 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/
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>-- 
>Raymond Wood        XIST Information Services & Technology Inc.
>Ottawa, Ontario     phone: (613)234-9621 X230  fax: (613)234-9564
>http://xist.com     raymond.wood at xist.com    1-888-ASK-XIST
>
>

--
Jerry Kuntz
Electronic Resources Consultant
Ramapo Catskill Library System
jkuntz at rcls.org

--