Libraries and National Security
Libraries and National Security, an article recently published in First Monday, details the history of librarians and national security from WWI to the present. Libraries have done a complete 180° from their position during the First World War when they sought out a role in the war effort and willingly restricted information. In the latter half of the century, librarians recognized that intellectual freedom was one of the core American values that national security aims to protect and, therefore, that one of the primary responsibilities of the profession is to protect that freedom from restrictions, particularly from restrictions imposed by the government. The article touches on the FBI’s Library Awareness Program of the late 80’s which reinforced this new role and lead to greater animosity between librarians and the government after it was discovered that the FBI had conducted background checks on outspoken librarians. Finally, as expected, the article includes some interesting information on the USA PATRIOT act.