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Librarians Wrestle with Patriot Act and Data Privacy Issues

A recent survey of how U.S. public librarians have responded to information requests from law enforcement as a result of the Patriot Act indicates that the community is divided in regard to protecting patron privacy. Of those surveyed, 219 indicated that they provided data on patrons, while 229 responded that they did not do so. The survey, Public Libraries and Civil Liberties: A Profession Divided (in PDF), was conducted by the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois. A press release detailing the survey design methodology is here.

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