Refuge of a Scoundrel: The Patriot Act in Libraries

The USA Patriot Act may be the most complex and controversial federal statute in American history, argued to undercut American civil liberties in countless ways, including a dramatic extension of domestic surveillance. Providing a broad picture of how the new surveillance powers affect all Americans—citizens and non-citizens alike—the lessons of this book will be relevant to any businesses that maintain personnel records and electronic data that were considered confidential before the Patriot Act, as well as a broad range of individuals, including librarians, bookstore owners, students, scholars, journalists, businessmen, and anyone concerned with American civil liberties.

Informative appendices include the historic University of Illinois survey of public library surveillance since September 11, 2001, and copies of some of the standard court orders that may be served to libraries and bookstores.