Librarians have one role, police investigators another

Librarians have one role, police investigators another
EDITOR:
Recently, much has appeared in the press and on television and radio concerning the implications of the Patriot Act on the reading habits and associated library records of American citizens. Librarians have questioned the wisdom of eroding our rights to free and unfettered inquiry as a policy within our government's attempts to ensure our safety from terrorism. In doing so, librarians have been portrayed by some as alarmist.
While we understand the need to pursue community safety as a part of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," we recognize that life, in its many aspects, can never come with absolutes. Everything we do in life contains a certain amount of risk and, try as we might, some risk is inevitable. We believe that it is unreasonable to give up the fundamental right of free inquiry for all in the mere hope that we will accomplish the impossible state of a life free of risk.
In addressing the excesses of the Patriot Act, we librarians seek to help our neighbors understand the issues that we all face, but we seek to help them while at the same time keeping them safe from false accusation. The ability of a person to have confidence in knowing that what they choose to read is private is very important to the functioning of our society. If your son or daughter seeks readings on the making of bombs in order to better understand how easy it is for terrorists get their bomb-making information; if your sons or daughters seek readings on school shootings by other students to better understand what drives their peers to commit such acts; If your sons or daughters seek information on anti-government or terrorist groups so as to understand their motives and the potential threats that they might carry out, do you really want to have those reading activities investigated? Do you want librarians to be forced to be complicit in such an investigation without the ability to even inform you that such inquiries have been made?
People should know that as a practical matter, that the vast majority of libraries throughout the country have designed privacy into the very fabric of their operations. For example, automated borrowing systems at both Youngstown State University and in all public libraries of Mahoning County are designed to erase information on what a person had borrowed as soon as the material is returned.
Librarians believe that free inquiry and privacy of one's reading habits is a fundamental right of every citizen and that to question any citizen about what they are reading destroys the basic foundations of an informed and democratic society. The State of Ohio agrees, as evidenced by its Confidentiality of Library Records statute. Some in Congress are now discussing revisions to the U.S. Patriot Act to provide similar protections. We encourage residents of our area to contact Sens. DeWine and Voinovich and express their views.
CARLTON A. SEARS
Director, Public Library of Youngstown & amp; Mahoning County
PAUL J. KOBULNICKY
Executive Director, Maag Library
Youngstown State University
Austintown teacher urgessupport for school issues
EDITOR:
I am writing in support of the Austintown school levy and bond issue appearing on the November ballot. I am not only an Austintown resident and teacher in the system, but also a proud parent of three successful Fitch High School graduates.
Austintown students deserve and receive an outstanding quality education. As teachers, we constantly progress to stay aligned with state standards to ensure the very best education for our students. Not only do our students deserve the very best that educators can provide, they also deserve the most up-to-date technology capabilities and the safety of coming to school in a sound facility. Austintown Middle School needs to be replaced by a safe, sound building that can provide all the modern technology needed to enhance our students' education.
It is my hope that the residents of Austintown will show their support for the much-needed school levy and bond issue in November by voting "yes."
BONNIE J. COLLINGS
Austintown