WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The American Library Association and the USA Patriot Act may be on a collision course over the FBI's demand for library records.
A member of the library group has filed a lawsuit challenging the FBI's powers but court documents say the act bars the plaintiff from publicly disclosing its identity or the details of the dispute, the Washington Post reports.
The act, passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is up for renewal before Congress. Some of its provisions including those affecting libraries have come under criticism, according to the Post.
The report says it is not known how many times the government has used its Patriot Act-related powers to seek or obtain information from libraries.
The suit, originally filed under seal in Connecticut early this month, relates to FBI use of the "national security letter" document to demand records without a judge's approval and bars the disclosure of the request.
A spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is part of the suit, says the dispute is directly relevant to the debate on Capitol Hill over the Patriot Act.
