Clarification/Follow-up by CeeBee on 03/26/04 1:34 pm:
Chou: I could get a bomb-making book for you through interlibrary loan, but there's better stuff now on the 'Net.

Clarification/Follow-up by XCHOUX on 03/26/04 1:43 pm:
Darn: The terrorists can get bomb literature anywhere.

Clarification/Follow-up by CeeBee on 03/26/04 1:58 pm:
tomder55 - But if you were a American (from the Mideast) Muslim male teen and ordered The Anarchist's Cookbook (bomb-making book and a "favorite" of jr. high males) through interlibrary loan because your friends had told you how interesting it is, govt officials might want to hold you (and not in a hug) for a few weeks. You wouldn't mind that your right to read is being challenged?

Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 03/26/04 3:03 pm:
Ceebee,

>>>Not the Internet version, Elliot - the official out-of-print version. I'm too busy cataloging books to make bombs. <<<

I didn't know you were a librarian, Ceebee.

If information is power, the Librarians are the most powerful people in the world... the keepers of information and the masters of the arcane art of research.

Regarding the Anarchist's Cookbook, I didn't know it was even available in a library... I thought the book itself was illegal.

One more point.

The Patriot Act does not allow the police or the FBI to hold someone because they took out the Anarchist's Cookbook. But it does allow them to find out who did take it out... IF THERE IS A SEARCH WARRANT FOR THAT INFORMATION. Which is how things were before. The only thing that the Patriot act changed in practice was how quickly one can get a search warrant, and what constitutes 'probable cause' with regard to getting a warrant. It does not curtail ANYONE'S freedom. It doesn't stop people from being able to borrow books from the library. The only thing it does is allow the government to act more quickly to stop a terrorist threat BEFORE it happens, and gives them the investigatory tools they need to prevent a terrorist act, or catch the perpetrators if the act does occur.

Elliot

Clarification/Follow-up by CeeBee on 03/26/04 7:36 pm:
Elliot - As "masters of the arcane art of research" we librarians are reinventing ourselves and libraries. And thanks for the Patriot Act info...what you wrote jibes with what we have been told. It still would be scary to have police interested in you because you innocently read a certain book.

Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 03/27/04 5:30 am:
Ceebee,

the ACLU has been begging people to report abuses due to the Patriot act . I ahve not heard of any resulting from the Feds. looking at someones library records.
Grand juries have been able to subpoena business records, including library records, for some time in criminal investigations. The Patriot Act expanded their capabilities
with records in foreign intelligence investigations,and like the former provision ,a court order is required.

Besides ,the whole act is under review ,and most certainly will be amended.

Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 03/27/04 5:49 am:
Choux ,I have been hearing rumors that Kerry might pick Dick Durbin as his VP running mate.

Clarification/Follow-up by XCHOUX on 03/27/04 2:13 pm:
Tom: What DAN DURBIN??? Ya got me!! Have to think about this. Wow

Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 03/28/04 5:26 am:
no ,Richard Durbin , (Dem.Senator Ill.)[the guy who hates vitamins]. He is Chucky Shumer's roommate in Washington ,and Shumer has been touting him on the news as a potential running mate to Kerry. .

Clarification/Follow-up by XCHOUX on 03/28/04 12:19 pm:
Tom: I mispoke, I meant Dick Durbin. Sorry. I know who Durbin is!!