SEPTEMBER, 2005 NEWSLETTER
Sept. 6, 2005 -- Hello members and friends of Albuquerque Press Women. It's been a long, hot summer. I hope you all were able to make some memorable moments with those around you during your summer.
Sometimes we must remind ourselves, especially in the face of such devastation as has occurred in the Gulf Coast region over past couple of weeks, that there are some things in life so precious that no dollar amount could ever be placed on them. To me--and I hope to many of you as well--one of the things I treasure is our freedom, which seems to be eroding bit by bit like sand pebbles being washed away.
By now, we are all too familiar with the USA PATRIOT Act, enacted by Congress weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. While the country was still in a state of shock, this piece of legislation was passed by elected men and women in Congress, many of whom admitted to have not read the bill carefully.
Among the "freedoms" the Act allows is for law enforcement officials to monitor and seize records of activity at any library in the country. A library in Connecticut recently filed suit against the US Justice Department challenging an FBI demand for its user records, billing information and Internet logs under authorization of Section 505 of the USA Patriot Act, according to an Aug. 26 report in the New York Times.
The complaint focuses on the FBI’s use of an administrative subpoena called a national security letter to obtain library records without approval of a judge in an “investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities.” Because of a gag order imposed by the Patriot Act, the identity of the institution, the specific records being sought, the date of the request, and other details of the incident cannot be disclosed.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also joined the suit. According to the American Library Association's Web site: The lawsuit asserts that Section 505 of the act violates the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution and seeks relief from complying with the FBI demand, a permanent ban on the FBI’s use of Section 505 subpoenas, immunity from Patriot Act’s related penalties, and an emergency court order to lift the gag provision so that the library can participate in public debate on the upcoming congressional reauthorization of the act.
Eileen Longsworth, Director, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System, will join Albuquerque Press Women at 11:45 a.m., Monday, Sept. 19 at the Sheraton Uptown to discuss the Connecticut case and the potential ramifications it has on other libraries around the country.
You don't want to miss this discussion, so be sure to make your reservations by contacting Janet Ford by Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 720-7821 or byE-Mail. Members and their first-time guests, $15; nonmembers, $21. You may select a vegetarian meal. Your reservation is our commitment to reserve your lunch and your commitment to pay.
The ALA also reports on its Web site that a 2005 national survey of academic and public libraries commissioned by the American Library Association's Office for Information Technology Policy found that at least 137 legally executed requests by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have taken place since October 2001, 63 in public libraries and 74 in academic libraries.
Library patrons who are the subject of such investigations do not have to be informed that they are the subject of suspicion. If you use libraries for personal or professional purposes, you must plan to attend this luncheon!
Mark your calendars!
Upcoming topics we plan to bring you include discussions on the Albuquerque minimum wage (Oct. 10), which will be on the City's October ballot, anonymous sources and "Shield Laws" (Nov. 14) and the local book scene (Dec. 12). Press Women published authors, be sure to keep us on your December calendar!
While the September luncheon date is a deviation from our standard schedule, the rest of the 2005 calendar is set, so mark "APW" for the second Monday and plan to join us.
Membership
APW is once again offering a special membership discount. Anyone who joins now and pays dues for the 2006 calendar year will get the remaining months of 2005 for free. That means that you will get the full benefit of membership, including the discounted luncheon rate and the ability to link from our Web site to your own for free for at least a few months. Now is a great time to recruit your colleagues to join APW!
For those of you who are not current with your membership dues, you will be billed the nonmember luncheon rate of $21. Bring your membership up-to-date so you don’t lose out on the member discount.
The dues information:
Full membership:
National Federation of Press Women -- $51.50 (Student rate available) New Mexico Press Women -- $10
Total -- $61.50 is paid to the National Federation of Press Women and is billed in November.
Albuquerque Press Women -- $10 for National and State members.
Paid separately to the local chapter. Due annually in January. Full membership entitles you to receive mailings from all three levels of the organization, attend the national convention and other national, state and local functions, enter state and national contests, and enjoy all the "perks" of full membership.
Local Membership only Albuquerque Press Women -- $35 Local dues are due in January and are paid directly to the Albuquerque chapter. Local annual dues entitle you to the discounted member price for monthly luncheons for you and for any first-time guest you bring ($15 instead of $21), the frequent E-GRAMs that serve as our newsletter, discounts for products and functions held or sponsored by Albuquerque Press Women.
Local membership does NOT entitle you to membership in either the state or national organization and you will not appear on their mailing ists.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
If ever you have any ideas that might help us to better serve you, let us know. We're always open to suggestions and want to provide the best networking and resources for communications professionals. (Visit our Web site for links to e-mails.)