Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The 4th Amendment To The U.S. Constitution, Article 3 Of The Ala Code Of Ethics, And Section 215 Of The Usa Patriot Act: Squaring The Triangle, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

Librarians in the United States have many professional guideposts to inform their work. A patron's right to privacy is one tenet that tends to be upheld tenaciously, and is informed first by the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, among other Amendments, as well as Article III of the American Library Association Code of Ethics. Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the so-called "library provision," contradicts both the 4th Amendment and Article III of the ALA Code of Ethics, making it a weak third leg of a triangle of guideposts. The speaker explains how Section 215 allows for confiscation …