Is the FBI Spying on ALA? FOIA Request Aims to Find Out

-- Library Journal, 09/20/2005

The American Library Association’s (ALA) public opposition to the USA PATRIOT Act has Executive Board concerned that, just maybe, the Federal Bureau Investigation is keeping tabs on the organization. In a September 8 conference call, the board approved the initiation of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding the possible collection of information on ALA by federal law enforcement agencies. Office for Intellectual Freedom director Judith Krug, whose office is preparing a FOIA request, said that the move was not prompted by any specific incident, but that ALA is following the lead of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), another vocal Patriot Act opponent.

“ACLU has information which leads it to believe that the federal government may be surveilling organizations that have actively opposed the Patriot Act, either in whole or in part” Krug said. “In order to verify this or discount it, ACLU has filed a FOIA request. When this became public, several of ALA’s councillors said, in regards to our efforts… we also might want to query the FBI to determine whether our staff, our members, or the organization itself are being surveilled.”