Abstract

Spying in the Stacks: The F. B. I.'s Invasion of Libraries

In a front-page article last September 18, 1987, the "New York Times" reported that agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation had asked fewer than twenty New York City libraries for help in catching spies who might be lurking in their stacks. But, under the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Library Awareness Program, technical libraries are being requested not only to be on the lookout for spy-recruiting activities but also to report on the reading habits of foreigners who might be copying information allegedly harmful to national security. The Times did no follow-up article, and aside from local stories and one in "The Washington Post" there has been little coverage of the program, which the American Library Association has called an unconscionable and unconstitutional invasion of the right of privacy of library users.