BTW News Briefs

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Department of Justice Contacted Libraries 50 Times in Anti-Terrorism Efforts

On Tuesday, May 20, the Justice Department released documents revealing that public libraries have been contacted about 50 times by federal investigators as part of their anti-terrorism efforts, as reported by the Associated Press. The information was released as part of the House Judiciary Committee's efforts to oversee how the government and FBI are using their much-expanded investigative powers under the USA Patriot Act. The Department will not say whether or not they looked through or took information from library records, the AP article noted.

Commenting on the Justice Department's revelations, American Library Association President Maurice J. Freedman noted that "the documents released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Justice raise more questions than they answer. Although the Justice Department referenced an informal survey, the real number of libraries visited and the circumstances of those visits are still not known."

The American Civil Liberties Union also was not satisfied with the report, and said that the government did not provide enough details about the library investigations. Nonetheless, Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) -- who, along with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), first initiated the Committee's efforts to find out the extent of the government's use of its new powers under the Patriot Act -- commended the "timing and thoroughness" of the Department's answers, AP reported. --DG

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Over Privacy Concerns, Pentagon Renames Anti-Terrorism Surveillance System

It belonged in Catch-22 or an episode of M*A*S*H: To answer Congress' concern over how the Defense Department's Total Information Awareness Program (an anti-terrorism surveillance system that would scan databases with information about Americans) might affect citizen's civil liberties, the Pentagon attempted to reassure the House by announcing it was changing the program's name.

On Tuesday, May 20, the Pentagon released a 99-page report on the project to Congress in answer to Congress' amendment that banned TIA's deployment without Congressional support. Under the less intimidating title, the Terrorism Information Awareness program, the Defense Department also promised to use only legally collected personal data, as reported by the USA Today.

The Pentagon's assurances, not to mention the program's new title, failed to satisfy privacy groups or Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), author of the Congressional amendment. Wyden vowed to keep tight congressional control of the project, the USA Today article noted. --DG

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Billy Collins Documentary Free to Libraries Nationwide

On May 21, Checkerboard Film Foundation, which documents individuals who have made important contributions to the American Arts, premiered its latest film, Billy Collins: On the Road With the Poet Laureate. The documentary chronicles the work and musings of Collins, the Poet Laureate of the United States, including readings given at the 92nd Street Y in New York and at The Dodge Poetry Festival in New Jersey. The DVD will be available to purchase by libraries nationwide. Watch for an upcoming interview with Collins in BTW. --KS

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The eBook Experience Premieres at BookExpo America

BookExpo America, in partnership with the Open eBook Forum, www.openebook.org, will premiere the "eBook Experience," an interactive center featuring hands-on displays of the latest digital reading devices, software, services, and eBook titles in a coordinated series of exhibits. The special center will be located prominently in the Concourse Foyer at the Los Angeles Convention Center and is free to all registered attendees. Sessions run Friday, May 30; Saturday, May 31; and Sunday, June 1. General information about the eBook Experience is located at www.bookexpoamerica.com. --DG