ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


239

ALA Executive Board Warns Against 
Access to Circulation Lists

“Irreparable damage to the educational and 
social value of the libraries of this country” 
will be done if the action of U.S. Treasury D e­
partm ent agents in seeking access to circulation 
lists in public libraries is permitted to continue, 
according to the American Library Association.

This warning was sounded in a sharply 
worded advisory statement by the Association 
to United States libraries. T he statement was is­
sued by David H. Clift, Executive Director of 
the American Library Association, on behalf of 
the Executive Board of th e ALA.

Noting th a t reports showed “the Internal 
Revenue Service of the Treasury Department 
has requested access to th e circulation records 
of public libraries in Atlanta, Georgia, and 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the purpose of de­
termining th e identity of persons reading m at­
ter pertaining to the construction of explosive 
devices,” the Association also was informed that 
“such requests were not based on any process, 
order or subpoena authorized by federal, civil, 
criminal or administrative discovery proce­
dures.” The ALA Executive Board’s advisory 
statement recommends th a t U.S. libraries: (1 ) 
consider their circulation records to be con­
fidential; (2 ) that such records not be made 
available to state, federal, or local government 
agents unless a “process, order or subpoena” is 
issued; (3 ) resist the issuance or enforcement of 
such an order or subpoena until a “proper show­
ing of good cause has been made in a court 
of competent jurisdiction.”

The substance of these recommendations will 
be presented to the Council of the ALA for 
adoption as th e official policy of the Associa­
tion.

The full text of the advisory statement reads 
as follows:

Advisory Statement to U.S. Libraries 
FROM THE American Library Association

The American Library Association has been 
advised th a t the Internal Revenue Service of 
the Treasury D epartm ent has requested access 
to the circulation records of public libraries in 
Atlanta, Georgia, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 
for the purpose of determining the identity of 
persons reading m atter pertaining to th e con­
struction of explosive devices. The Association 
is further advised th a t such requests were not 
based on any process, order or subpoena au­
thorized by federal, civil, criminal or adminis­
trative discovery procedures.

The Executive Board of the ALA believes 
that the efforts of the federal government to

convert library circulation records into “suspect 
lists,” constitute an unconscionable and uncon­
stitutional invasion of the right of privacy of li­
brary patrons and, if perm itted to continue, 
will do irreparable damage to the educational 
and social value of the libraries of this country.

Accordingly, the Executive Board of the 
American Library Association strongly recom­
mends th a t th e responsible officers of each U.S. 
library:

1. Formally adopt a policy which specifically 
recognizes its circulation records to be 
confidential in nature.

2. Advise all librarians and library employ­
ees th a t such records shall not be made 
available to any agency of state, federal, 
or local government except pursuant to 
such process, order, or subpoena as may 
be authorized under the authority of, and 
pursuant to, federal, state, or local law 
relating to civil, criminal, or administrative 
discovery procedures or legislative inves­
tigatory power.

3. Resist th e issuance or enforcement of any 
such process, order or subpoena until such 
time as a proper showing of good cause 
has been m ade in a court of competent 
jurisdiction.

D avid H. Clift, Executive Director 
American Library Association 
for ALA Executive Board ■ ■

SALARY SURVEY 
QUESTIONNAIRE

A Salary Survey questionnaire will be dis­
tributed to all ALA personal members in Oc­
tober 1970. The Salary Survey is designed to 
ascertain salary information and to relate sal­
ary data to such factors as type of library, 
length of library experience, education of the 
librarian, type of position, and sex of librarian.

All questionnaires are to be unsigned; no li­
brary or librarian is to be identified.

All ALA personal members who are em­
ployed by a library or by a library related or­
ganization (as a library school or a library as­
sociation) are urged to complete their ques­
tionnaires promptly.

Participation by a large percentage of mem­
bers will aid greatly in the completion of mean­
ingful library salary data. ■ ■