ALA Begins Patriot Act Study

Researchers from Florida State University's School of Information Studies, Tallahassee, and Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, NY, working with the American Library Association (ALA), are about to query a sample of U.S. public and academic libraries about the effect of the USA PATRIOT Act on libraries and patrons. The plan was first discussed at the ALA annual conference in Orlando last June (see "Goodbye Orlando," LJ 8/04, p. 38).

The web-based survey, Impact and Analysis of Federal Law Enforcement Activity in Academic and Public Libraries, will examine contacts by law enforcement in libraries, how library policies have changed since the passage of the Patriot Act, and any resulting changes in patron behavior. The survey has been reviewed by legal counsel to ensure that respondents do not violate the Patriot Act gag order. The study is financed in part by the Knight Foundation. The results, to be presented at ALA's 2005 annual conference in Chicago, will be made available to Congress as it debates whether to renew the parts of the Patriot Act that are scheduled to sunset in December 2005.