Librarians' Guild Resolution to Repeal the USA Patriot Act [pdf format]

as presented to the Board of Library Commissioners in July 2003


Update as of February 2004:

On January 21, after more than a year of organizing work
and the gathering of almost 10,000 signatures on
petitions, the Civil Liberties Defense Coalition of
Los Angeles achieved its goal of having the Los Angeles
City Council pass a resolution against the unconstitutional
portions of the USA PATRIOT Act. President Roy Stone
and Guild members Sheila Nash and Adele Wallace were
present for the press conference after the historic vote.

Each of the nine City Council members who voted for
passage made statements from the need to preserve our
civil liberties and civil rights to people they know
who have been thevictims of Patriot Act abuse. And
Janice Hahn noted the need to pay attention when
librarians speak up.

The City of Los Angeles was the largest city in the
country, joining over 250 cities, counties, library
boards, etc., and three states, that have passed various
resolutiions against the unconstitutional/illegal
aspects of the Patriot Act; however, one week later
New York City became the largest city.


Update as of January 17, 2004:

Patriot Act Resolution at City Council-
WED. JAN. 21, 11:00a.m.
The City Council will be making an important decision
on adopting a resolution regarding the Patriot Act.
We hope that many librarians will be in the audience
If you can attend, the Guild will pay for your time,
parking and mileage.

Please contact Kris Ockershauser if you live in
Pasadena and can help encourage the Pasadena City
Council to pass a resolution regarding the Patriot
Act. Contact her at: kriso@eudoramail.com


Update as of January 8, 2004:

The Patriot Act resolution has been passed unanimously
by the members of the Arts, Parks, Health, and Aging
Committee. Several members of the Civil Liberties
Defense Coalition, Rita Walters, Susan Kent, Adele
Wallach and Roy Stone spoke at the meeting. Parts of
this will be shown on the City cable channel 35 next
week on the program called 'This Week'. The resolution
will next be reviewed by the Rules Committee.

Update as of December 9, 2003:

The City Council's Arts, Parks, Health & Aging
Committee was scheduled to hear comment and discuss
the proposed resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act which
Councilwoman Jan Perry introduced and Eric Garcetti
seconded. The hearing was set for TUES. DEC. 2 at
8:30 a.m. It was postponed until January 2004 because a
staff report had not yet been prepared. When the hearing
is held, the Guild and a number of other organizations
from the Ciivil Liberties Defense Coalition will be there
to speak. We need those of you living in the City of
Los Angeles to call, write, fax, or e-mail your City
Councilperson to express support for them adopting this
resolution against the worst aspects of this Act.

If you do not live in the City, think of a friend or
relative who does and ask them to call, write, fax or
e-mail their Councilperson. The three members of the
committee are Tom LaBonge District 4, Alex Padilla
District 7, and Martin Ludlow District 10. But all of
the Council need to hear the message because we hope
they will be voting on it.

Civil Liberties Defense Coalition

American Civil Liberties Union: USA Patriot Act

America Library Association on Civil Liberties, Intellectual Freedom, and Privacy

Protect Library Privacy (ACLU and Calif. Library Assn)