Library Board looks at Patriot Act A group wants a resolution, notices of law's effects By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle The controversial USA PATRIOT act will be brought up today at a meeting of the Brown County Library Board. The area chapter of Citizens for a Living Constitution plans to ask the board to adopt a resolution condemning certain provisions of the act, as many other libraries board and municiaplities across the country have. The group is offering a resolution written by the American Library Association saying the act damages privacy that is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought and free association. It says the act, enacted as part of the government's anti-terrorism efforts, expands the authority of the government to investigate and threatens civil rights and liberties guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. The act would increase the likelihood the activities of library users could be monitored. Rabbi Sidney Vineburg, the library board's chairman, says the board has not taken an official position on the act. "We haven't formulated any plans or discussion about this," he said. "We're only doing this because a couple of patrons asked to bring it up, and then we'll see what the board decides to do." A release from the CLC chapter says it wants the board to adopt the ALA resolution and post notices warning patrons of effects of the act. One notice, in Santa Cruz, Calif., reads: "Although the Santa Cruz Library makes every effort to protect your privacy, under the federal USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56), records of the books and other materials you borrow from this library may be obtained by federal agents. That federal law prohibits library workers from informing you if federal agents have obtained records about you. Questions about this policy should be directed to Attorney General John Ashcroft, Department of Justice, Washington DC 20530." - Vineburg also expressed concern about a request being made through the county's Education and Recreation Committee to equalize cutting of library hours throughout all branches. "That's not a particularly good idea," he said. "We've always had hours depending on usage - the Southwest branch is about 6 percent of our usage, while Weyers-Hilliard (Howard branch) is 40 percent. It doesn't make sense to have them on the same hours. 'If you are talking about the same amount of hours from each branch, you're talking about staffing. - that's the only way it saves money. We've already met our budget goal, and I'm not exactly sure why that would help the situation." FYI The Brown County Library Board will meet at 7:30 a.m. today at the Kress Family Library in De Pere.