Patriot Act Provisions

Carol Brey-Casiano, the president of the American Library Association and director of the El Paso (Texas) Public Library, talked about librarians' concerns about portions of the USA Patriot Act. The American Library Association (ALA) opposed any use of governmental power to suppress the free and open exchange of knowledge or to intimidate individuals exercising free inquiry. The ALA considered sections of the USA Patriot Act a present danger to the constitutional rights and privacy rights of library users. Following her remarks she answered questions from the audience.