75:
On the 8th of June, 2004, a small library in Deming, part of the
Whatcom County Library System in rural Washington, received an unexpected visit from an FBI agent. Despite its modest size, this library became the center of a significant event. The agent demanded a list of patrons who had checked out
83:
On June 18, a grand jury subpoena arrived, seeking details of patrons who had borrowed the biography of Bin Laden since
November 15, 2001. The library Board convened urgently and agreed to challenge the subpoena. They argued that it violated the First Amendment rights of readers, the principle of
79:
Joan
Airoldi, the Director of the Whatcom County Rural Library District, spearheaded the library's response to defend the privacy of its patrons. The Deming branch stood firm, declining to provide the requested information without a legal subpoena or court order. Subsequently, the library's Board
95:
Joan allocated the $ 25,000 award she received from PEN America, in recognition of her stance against the FBI, to set up the
Whatcom County Library Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to fostering "dynamic opportunities to support libraries as the central pillars of a democratic community."
104:
Joan
Airoldi, who previously served as the director of the Whatcom County Library System, passed away on December 3, 2022, at 76 years old. She was renowned for her significant contributions to the library system and her unwavering commitment to the principles of library science throughout her
66:
subpoena was eventually issued, the library prepared to challenge it in court, and the subpoena was quickly withdrawn. At the time, Airoldi made this statement: "Libraries are a haven where people should be able to seek whatever information they want to pursue without any threat of government
84:
free and confidential information dissemination by libraries, and
Washington state’s laws on library record confidentiality. Airoldi emphasized the role of libraries as safe spaces for unrestricted information seeking, free from governmental interference.
76:"Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America." This request followed a report to the FBI about a note found in the book, which echoed a statement made by Osama Bin Laden in 1998, expressing hostility towards America and viewing it as a religious duty.
105:
career. Her leadership and dedication left a lasting impact on the community she served, and her legacy continues to inspire those in the field of librarianship.
306:
311:
117:
in recognition of this act. The Deming
Library staff were similarly recognized, receiving a Human Rights Award in 2005 from the Whatcom County
296:
164:
138:
114:
238:
194:
321:
316:
278:
87:
By July 14, it emerged that the FBI had retracted the grand jury subpoena, a significant development in this case.
213:
23:
39:
301:
8:
242:
50:. The library system informed the FBI that no information would be released without a
27:
90:
47:
38:
In June 2004, with the support of staff from the Deming
Library, a branch of the
42:
Library System, Airoldi refused to provide information requested by a visiting
290:
33:
118:
55:
165:"Librarian Who Fought FBI Search to Receive 2005 PEN/Newman's Own Award"
139:"Librarian Who Fought FBI Search to Receive 2005 PEN/Newman's Own Award"
63:
43:
59:
51:
58:. She also led the library board to vote to fight any such
34:
Resisted targeting of library patron under the
Patriot Act
263:
91:
Establishment of the "Whatcom County
Library Foundation"
80:
decided to legally contest any forthcoming subpoenas.
70:
288:
264:Whatcom Human Rights Task Force official website
239:"PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award (2005)"
195:"Joan Airoldi lived a life between the pages"
192:
307:American librarianship and human rights
211:
312:People from Whatcom County, Washington
289:
115:PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award
46:regarding a patron's use of a book on
188:
186:
13:
297:Librarians from Washington (state)
193:Kepferle, Amy (17 December 2022).
14:
333:
272:
212:Brodeur, Nicole (21 April 2005).
205:
183:
257:
231:
157:
131:
71:Information on her resistance.
22:is the former director of the
1:
24:Whatcom County Library System
214:"Deming's Defender of Words"
7:
322:21st-century American women
10:
338:
113:Airoldi received the 2005
317:American women librarians
282:editorial by Joan Airoldi
108:
124:
99:
62:in court. When that
199:Cascadia Daily News
245:on 30 October 2008
16:American librarian
218:The Seattle Times
329:
266:
261:
255:
254:
252:
250:
241:. Archived from
235:
229:
228:
226:
224:
209:
203:
202:
190:
181:
180:
178:
176:
161:
155:
154:
152:
150:
135:
28:Washington state
337:
336:
332:
331:
330:
328:
327:
326:
287:
286:
275:
270:
269:
262:
258:
248:
246:
237:
236:
232:
222:
220:
210:
206:
191:
184:
174:
172:
163:
162:
158:
148:
146:
137:
136:
132:
127:
111:
102:
93:
73:
67:intervention."
48:Osama bin Laden
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
335:
325:
324:
319:
314:
309:
304:
299:
285:
284:
274:
273:External links
271:
268:
267:
256:
230:
204:
182:
171:. 4 April 2005
156:
145:. 4 April 2005
129:
128:
126:
123:
110:
107:
101:
98:
92:
89:
72:
69:
40:Whatcom County
35:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
334:
323:
320:
318:
315:
313:
310:
308:
305:
303:
302:Living people
300:
298:
295:
294:
292:
283:
281:
277:
276:
265:
260:
244:
240:
234:
219:
215:
208:
200:
196:
189:
187:
170:
166:
160:
144:
140:
134:
130:
122:
120:
116:
106:
97:
88:
85:
81:
77:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
31:
29:
25:
21:
279:
259:
247:. Retrieved
243:the original
233:
221:. Retrieved
217:
207:
198:
173:. Retrieved
168:
159:
147:. Retrieved
142:
133:
121:Task Force.
119:Human Rights
112:
103:
94:
86:
82:
78:
74:
37:
20:Joan Airoldi
19:
18:
223:14 December
169:PEN America
143:PEN America
56:court order
291:Categories
249:24 January
175:1 December
64:grand jury
280:USA Today
44:FBI agent
60:subpoena
52:subpoena
149:4 June
109:Awards
125:Notes
100:Death
251:2009
225:2009
177:2023
151:2020
54:or
26:in
293::
216:.
197:.
185:^
167:.
141:.
30:.
253:.
227:.
201:.
179:.
153:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.