USA PATRIOT Act

USA Patriot Act

The State Commission's deputy attorney general recently reviewed the Idaho Library Trustees manual section on the Idaho Public Records Law in light of the new USA Patriot Act. Under current state and federal laws, each public records request may be unique and may call for a very different response depending on who is making the request and how the request is made. These laws apply to all types of libraries.

Every library director should review his/her library's policy on access to public records now. The deputy attorney general recommends a straightforward policy, reviewed by a lawyer, with these provisions:

  • The library will comply with all state and federal laws dealing with public records.
  • The library director will designate a staff person as the contact person for all public records requests and will provide that person with training to stay current.
  • The library will establish a procedure for handling public records requests.
  • Any library that receives a public records request immediately contact its lawyer and keep that person informed throughout the process.

Links:

Introduction to USA Patriot Act Resources: http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/hotopics/usapatriotact/index.html

National ACLU Homepage: http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=12126&c=207
USA Patriot Act information.

USA Patriot Act (ALA): http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/usapatriotact.html. This site provides additional information about confidentiality and law enforcement inquiries.

Guidelines for librarians on the USA PATRIOT Act: What to do before, during and after a “knock on the door.” (ALA)
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/civilliberties/theusapatriotact/patstep.pdf
Actions to implement for the library and its staff.

Contacts:

ACLU Idaho - 208-344-5243

Resource for Attorneys: Jim Wickham (City of Boise Attorney) - Mr. Wickham is willing to work with a library's attorney in a consultative capacity. 208-384-3870