ACRL New England Chapter News Online

ISSN 1527-0106

Winter 2005, Number 104

In This Issue (Home):

President's Letter

ALA Midwinter Dessert Social

Librarian of the Year Nominations

Annual Program Announcement

Continuing Education Report

Legislative Report

Women's Studies Spring Program

Interest Group Reports:
Access Services (ASIG)
Women's Studies

Calendar Listings

Suzanne Wones, ACRL/NEC Legislative Representative
Kennedy School of Government Library, Harvard University

The American Library Association has recently begun a study to assess the impact of the USA PATRIOT Act on libraries and library patrons. Working with academic researchers, the ALA has developed a set of web-based surveys designed to quantify and illuminate requests made by federal law enforcement agencies in public and academic libraries. The survey questions have been reviewed by the ALA counsel to ensure that respondents do not need to violate the gag order imposed by the USA PATRIOT Act. Specific libraries will be chosen for the survey and their administrators will be contacted by mail. If you are contacted, please consider responding. Results of the survey will be presented at the ALA Annual meeting in Chicago.

Upcoming advocacy events include the Freedom of Information Day in mid-March and the National Library Legislative Day in early May. In March, the James Madison Award will be presented to individuals or groups that have worked to protect the public's right to access government information. National Library Legislative Day is an opportunity for librarians to educate legislators on the activities of libraries across the country and their impact on the public.