Joan Airoldi

Joan Airoldi is the former director of the Whatcom County Library System in Washington state.

Resisted targeting of library patron under the Patriot Act

In June 2004, with the support of staff from the Deming Library, a branch of the Whatcom County Library System, she refused to provide information requested by a visiting FBI agent regarding a patron's use of a book on Osama bin Laden. The library system informed the FBI that no information would be released without a subpoena or court order. She also led the library board to vote to fight any such subpoena in court. When that grand jury subpoena was eventually issued, the library prepared to challenge it in court, and the subpoena was quickly withdrawn.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 intervention."[1]

Awards

Airoldi received the 2005 PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award in recognition of this act.[2][3] The Deming Library staff were similarly recognized, receiving a Human Rights Award in 2005 from the Whatcom County Human Rights Task Force.[4]

Notes
  1. "Librarian Who Fought FBI Search to Receive 2005 PEN/Newman's Own Award". PEN America. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. Brodeur, Nicole (21 April 2005). "Deming's Defender of Words". Seattle Times. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  3. "PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award (2005)". Archived from the original on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  4. Whatcom Human Rights Task Force official website


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