SPOTLIGHT ON PATRIOT ACT AT LIBRARY CONFAB: Thousands of librarians (including many from WYO) will be traveling to Chicago this week for the annual American Library Association conference. Panel presentations and talks about the USA PATRIOT Act will be plentiful. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will address the issue on Saturday, June 25, at 5:30 p.m. Peter Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the North District of Illinois, and Colleen Connell, ACLU of Illinois director, will debate on Monday, June 27, following an 8 a.m. screening of "Unconstitutional," a documentary about the PATRIOT Act. Librarians and dedicated readers alike already are buzzing about the ALA survey (released June 20) “demonstrating the significant impact on the public of federal law enforcement activity in America's libraries. Based on the survey findings, ALA believes that public anxiety and librarian concern over law enforcement activity in libraries is justified.” More than a hundred authors will participate in the conference, including David Sedaris, Seymour Hersh, Ted Kooser, Francesca Lia Block, Cynthia Kadohata, and Kadir Nelson. Special guest will be librarian action figure model and "Book Lust" author Nancy Pearl.
