Washington: Library Fights Federal Demand for Records

A small library stood up to the FBI and won. After learning that someone wrote comments in a book about Osama bin Laden which could be construed as supportive of the terrorist, the FBI demanded the records of everyone who checked the book out. The library refused and the FBI backed down.

KOMO TV reports:

The FBI confiscated the original book after a patron reported than some one hand wrote a bin Laden quote in the margin that read: "Let history be witness I am a criminal." The FBI demanded to know the names and addresses of everyone who ever checked out the book. "Libraries are a haven where people should be able to seek whatever information they want to pursue without any threat of government intervention," said Director of Whatcom County Library System, Joan Airoldi.

Because of privacy policies, the library does not give out circulation records without a court order. When the FBI got a grand jury subpoena, the library filed a motion to quash it -- citing the rights of all people who use the library. "Like the right to read and to read the material of one's choice without fear that someone will come around with questions about why you chose that book," said Garrett.

This wasn't a Patriot Act request — if that had happened, the library wouldn't have been able to go to the courts (and we wouldn't know about it because the government can keep such things secret from the public). This also wasn't a total victory because the FBI can file a subpoena again. Still, it's at least a step in the right direction. Personally, I can't quite see how the above quote can be read as supportive of Bin Laden. It looks like a somewhat vague condemnation: let history bear witness that I (Bin Laden) am a criminal? I can't imagine what the FBI was thinking.

Read More:

• War on Terrorism
• News on Free Speech and Civil Liberties
• Recent Books on Free Speech
• Court Decisions on Free Speech and Censorship