On Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Champlain College, Alumni Auditorium, Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy will speak on how marketers track online and digital footprints, threats to privacy and dramatic changes in the delivery of news, information and entertainment. Digital Media at the Crossroads: Content & Control in the Internet Era is free and open to the public. Chester explores the latest developments in technologically advanced personalized data targeting, the role of the leading online marketing companies, new approaches to policy, its impact on diverse and progressive media content, and implications for the future of democracy and human rights.

Jeff Chester is the Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a Washington, DC based organization dedicated to “fostering democratic expression and consumer protection in the digital media era.” He has been referred to by Bill Moyers as the “Paul Revere for the media reform movement.” He brings 20 years of media reform activism and experience from his work promoting the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to his naming in 2011 as the “Domestic Privacy Champion” by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Register here: http://mymediavt.net/

Presented by VCAM, RETN & Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television in partnership with CCTV Center for Media & Democracy, ACLU-Vermont, Cham¬plain College/Emergent Media Center, Vermont Library Association, Vermont School Library Association, and UVM Libraries. Media Sponsors include: Seven Days, The Radiator, Front Porch Forum, Vermont Commons, and Big Heavy World

Jeff Chester will also appear at CCTV’s 6th Annual Nonprofit Luncheon at the First Congregational Church from 12 – 2 p.m on 9/22. Presented with the United Way of Chittenden County – $15 – Scholarships available. Register here: http://6thannualnpolunch.eventbrite.com/

John Swan Lecture for Intellectual Freedom

Featuring

Christopher Finan

President of American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), member of the Media Coalition and member and chair of the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship, recipient of the 2011 Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Roll of Honor Award and 2008 winner of Eli Oboler Award speaking about his  book

 From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America

Thursday, August 25, 2011

4 p.m.

Sherburne Memorial Library     2998 River Road Killington,VT

Book signing and reception immediately following. 

Free and open to the public

  The Intellectual Freedom Committee and the IFC Privacy Subcommittee developed the “Resolution to Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices” after receiving requests from librarians and library users to examine the issue of reader privacy and self-service holds.  Prior to last month’s ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, the Office for Intellectual Freedom distributed the resolution for comment, and an open hearing was held during Conference for comments.  That process led to a revision of the resolution and what the IFC believes to be an improved version.

The final resolution as presented by the Intellectual Freedom Committee was adopted by the ALA Council on June 28.

Resolution to Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices

WHEREAS, the ALA Code of Ethics states, “We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted”; and

WHEREAS, the American Library Association affirms that rights of privacy are necessary for intellectual freedom and are fundamental to the ethics and practice of librarianship (ALA Policy Manual, 53.1.16, Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights); and

WHEREAS, the lack of privacy and confidentiality has a chilling effect on users’ choices (ALA Policy Manual, 53.1.16, Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights); and

WHEREAS, the American Library Association strongly recommends the adoption of policies recognizing circulation records and other records identifying the names of library users to be confidential (ALA Policy Manual, 52.4, Confidentiality of Library Records); and

WHEREAS, confidentiality extends to (but is not limited to) database search records, reference interviews, circulation records, interlibrary loan records and all other records of personally identifiable uses of library materials, facilities, or services that associate the names of library users with specific materials (ALA Policy Manual, 52.4.2, Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information About Library Users); and

WHEREAS, the confidentiality of library records is protected by law or by attorney general opinion in all fifty states and in the District of Columbia; and

WHEREAS, U.S. courts have upheld the right to privacy based on the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution; 1 and

WHEREAS, U.S. courts protect privacy when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy; and

WHEREAS, U.S. courts have ruled that when an individual’s personal data is shared with a third party or the public, the individual no longer has an expectation of privacy in that data; and

WHEREAS, keeping a library user’s personally identifiable information and circulation record absolutely confidential is essential for preserving the library user’s expectation of privacy in his or her reading history; and

WHEREAS, many libraries across the country are instituting self-service hold systems that fail to adequately protect library users’ confidentiality because the self-service hold systems reveal personally identifiable information linking specific users to specific items; and

WHEREAS, some methods of truncating user names or other personally identifiable information do not adequately protect library users’ privacy, nor preserve the legal expectation of privacy, and may violate a state’s library confidentiality law; and

WHEREAS, there are effective solutions that conceal a library user’s identity while permitting the library to continue its use of open-shelf, self-service holds, such as the use of pseudonyms, codes, numbers, or other means that mask personally identifiable information; and the use of methods that obscure the identity of library user requests and the items requested through the practice of packaging the items inside an envelope or a reusable bag to hold the item, or wrapping them in a full sheet of paper, or an equivalent option. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the American Library Association

1. Urges all libraries that implement self-service holds to protect patron identity by adopting practices and procedures that conceal the library user’s personally identifiable information in connection with the materials being borrowed;
2. Urges libraries, librarians, and the responsible bodies of ALA to work with vendors to incorporate applications into integrated library systems that enable libraries to conceal a library user’s identity in a cost-effective manner.

1.US Constitution, 4th, 5th, and 9th Amendments and case law, including NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958); Griswold v. Connecticut 381 U.S. 479 (1965); Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967); and Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557 (1969)

Are there opportunities, needs, desires we share? You are invited to an initial conversation – a brainstorming session, perhaps – to talk about the future and the now. And if you think there are others who should be invited, please pass along this invitation. All are welcome.

Vermont Independent Media Conversation
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Montpelier City Hall
1:30-4:00pm

Agenda in development
1. Introductions

2. Some questions to address:Does independence mean anarchy? How can independent Vermont media outlets work together?
What are the assets we currently share? How can independent media assist Vermont communities building and maintaining community links? How do we increase real news about communities? Can we move toward collaboration in creative ways?

3. What should our next steps be?

Want more information? Have questions? Email scottc@retn.org.
Or just show up and bring things up.

If you know anyone who should be invited to this conversation, please ask them to join us.

Scott Campitelli
Executive Director & Program Manager
RETN – Regional Educational Technology Network

http://www.retn.org

scottc@retn.org
ph – 802.654.7980 ext 26
media center at:
208 Flynn Avenue, Suite 2K
Burlington, Vermont

Christopher M. Finan receives 2011

CHICAGO – Christopher M. Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), longtime member of the Media Coalition and member and chair of the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship, is the recipient of the 2011 Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Roll of Honor Award.

Finan has a distinguished career in both study and activism on behalf of the freedom to read.  His work on behalf of free speech began in 1982 when he joined the Media Coalition as coordinator.  Finan joined ABFFE in 1998.  As President of ABFFE and member of a number of free speech advocacy groups, he has worked on a host of First Amendment issues, including federal, state and local legislation and litigation.  He has been particularly active in fighting state “harmful to minors” statutes and advocating the role of the bookseller as a partner with libraries, users, publishers and all who produce, distribute or use First-Amendment protected materials.  Finan has been a leader in the efforts to amend the USA PATRIOTAct.  Recently he has worked with ALA and brought in new partners to expand the influence and scope of Banned Books Week nationwide.

Finan’s book, “From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America” (Beacon, 2008), received the ALA/Intellectual Freedom Round Table’s Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award in June, 2008.

Candace Morgan, chair of the Roll of Honor Selection Committee, was enthusiastic about Finan’s work: “As is clearly evident from his record as a free expression and reader privacy activist, Chris has supported and forwarded the mission and work of the Freedom to Read Foundation for its entire existence.  As he is rejoining the board the Roll of Honor Committee felt this was an obvious time to recognize his contributions.”

Freedom to Read Foundation President Kent Oliver added:  “It has been my pleasure to work with Chris for many years.  His commitment to the First Amendment and the principles which the Freedom to Read Foundation represents is unsurpassed.”

The award will be presented at the ALA 2011 national conference in New Orleans at the Opening General Session on Friday, June 24, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

The Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor was established in 1987 to recognize and honor those individuals who have contributed substantially to FTRF through adherence to its principles and/or substantial monetary support.  FTRF was founded in 1969 to promote and defend the right of individuals to freely express ideas and to access information in libraries and elsewhere.  FTRF fulfills its mission through the disbursement of grants to individuals and groups, primarily for the purpose of aiding them in litigation dealing with freedom of speech and of the press.

The USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011 mirrors a bipartisan agreement reached in the last Congress to address the expiring authorities and increase oversight. Leahy led Senate efforts in the 111th Congress to provide an extension through 2013 of the expiring provisions, which include roving wiretaps, the “lone wolf” measure, and Section 215 orders for tangible things, commonly referred to as the “library records” provision. The USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011 also includes several provisions to improve oversight of intelligence-gathering tools, as well as an important sunset on National Security Letters, the use of which has received increased scrutiny in recent years.

“Congress now faces a deadline to take action on the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act,” said Leahy. “The USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011 will preserve law enforcement and intelligence techniques that are set to expire on February 28, 2011, and extend them to December 2013. It will also promote transparency and expand privacy and civil liberties safeguards in current law. It increases judicial oversight of government surveillance powers that capture information on Americans. This is a package of reforms that all Americans should support.”

A bipartisan majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send similar legislation to the full Senate in October 2009. That bill was backed by the Obama administration. In February 2010, Congress passed a one-year extension of the expiring provisions.
Last year, at Leahy’s request, Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine agreed to implement several key oversight and civil liberties provisions included in the 2009 bill. The Leahy-authored legislation introduced on Tuesday will codify these important oversight and reporting requirements, ensuring that each is required by law rather than administrative action.

“The Senate should pass the USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011 to codify the steps forward that the Attorney General has taken by implementing parts of the bill administratively,” Leahy said. “The reforms adopted by this Attorney General could be undone by a future Attorney General with the stroke of a pen. We must ensure that the progress in accountability and transparency that we achieved last year is not lost simply because it was never written into the statute.”

The legislation will be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Leahy is expected to list it for Committee consideration soon. The text of the USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011 is available here. A section-by-section analysis for background purposes can be found here.

In celebration of the First Amendment during Banned Books Week, the Vermont Civil Liberties Union and the Vermont Library Association present “An Evening Without…Giving Voice to the Silenced” featuring Vermont authors and speakers reading from books that have been banned or challenged.

The featured readers below will read from the works of authors such as Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Toni Morrison.
Jerry Carbone is the Director of Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro.
Jon Clinch is the author of two acclaimed novels, Finn and The Kings of the Earth.
Joni B. Cole is the writer of several non-fiction books and co-founder of the Writer’s Center in White River Junction.
Castle Freeman is a writer who has published four acclaimed novels, a book of  short stories, and a collection of essays.
Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina is the author of seven books, including her latest, Mr. and Mrs. Prince and hosts The Book Show, a nationally syndicated weekly radio program.
Karen Hesse is the Newbery Award-winning author of 22 books for young readers.
Suzanne Kingsbury is the author of three novels, two of which have been optioned for film

In celebration of the First Amendment during Banned Books Week, the VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont will present “An Evening Without. . .Giving Voice to the Silenced,” Thursday, Sept. 30.

The free event will feature writers from around Vermont as they read from works by those whose writing has been challenged, censored, or banned.

Featured readers are Jerry Carbone (director of the Brooks Memorial Library), Jon Clinch, Joni Cole, Castle Freeman, Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Karen Hesse, and Suzanne Kingsbury, reading from works by Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, George Orwell, Katherine Paterson, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, and Kurt Vonnegut.

The event is held in collaboration with the Brattleboro Literary Festival, and is funded in part by VLA’s John Swan Endowment Fund.  John Swan was a Vermont librarian and intellectual freedom advocate.

WHEN:  September 30 at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:  Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont
ADMISSION:  Free!

I hope you’ll attend if you can, and that you’ll help promote the event at your library.  Please visit the ACLU Web site at http://www.acluvt.org/news/evening_without.php to download and print a PDF poster you can hang and re-distribute via e-mail.  Information about the event is also available at http://brattleboroliteraryfestival.org/event/an-evening-without-giving-voice-to-the-silenced/

Thanks, and please let me know if you have questions.

Sincerely,
Trina Magi
Member, VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee

In the past two years the education committee of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Vermont chapter (on which I serve) has offered free ALA posters to 21 school, public and college libraries in order to help them use this week to draw attention to the dangers of censorship.

We have money to do this again this year.

The first ten libraries to email response to this post will receive the ALA Banned Book Week poster offered this year by ALA and shown in the ALA graphics catalog (p. 6) that was recently mailed.  The 2010 poster measures 24” by 32” and retails for $16.00.

See the 2010 poster at  http://www.alastore.ala.org/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=269

There’s one string.  I’d very much like to receive an email photo of how the poster looks in your library!  Be sure to include a person in your photo (we like to see ourselves, don’t we?).

Be sure to let me know ( at david.clark@ilsleypubliclibrary.org ) your postal mailing address.

I’ll then arrange for posters to be mailed to the first ten libraries that respond.  Libraries which received a poster previously are not eligible.

Thanks,
David Clark
Ilsley Public Library, director
ACLU- VT, board member

p.s.       ALA’s webpage for banned and challenged books will lead you to ideas and resources you can use for Banned Book Week:

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/index.cfm

p.p.s.    The Vermont Library Association and the ACLU of Vermont will present An Evening Without: Giving Voice to the Silenced,  on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, 7:30 pm, Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont.

The event will feature Vermont writers reading from a broad range of works that have been challenged or banned.  Presented in collaboration with the Brattleboro Literary Festival, this event is free and open to the public in celebration of the First Amendment during Banned Books Week (September 25-October 2).

For more information, including a list of featured readers and authors, see http://www.acluvt.org/news/evening_without.php or call (802) 223-6304.

ALA has developed a variety of resources to help libraries reach out to their communities.    The campaign gives libraries the tools they need to educate and engage users, and gives citizens the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy.  I hope you take time to explore the website www.privacyrevolution.org to learn more about what your library can do to spark thought and discussion around privacy issues today.  Whether you are considering creating a display, sponsoring a contest, hosting a program or workshop, or moderating a community dialogue about privacy, there are tools that can help.  

Help us spread the word about the importance of choosing privacy.  

Gail Weymouth

VLAIFC, chair