'Little Red Book' story gets wide publicity

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>]

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/a01lo287.htm
 
'Little Red Book' story gets wide publicity 
By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> NEW BEDFORD
-- A Standard-Times story about a UMass Dartmouth student who was visited by
federal agents for requesting a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's "Little Red Book" has
received worldwide attention, thanks to the Internet. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> The story,
which appeared Saturday, discussed a student's claim that he was visited by
federal agents after requesting the book through an interlibrary loan. The
account was immediately picked up by numerous Web logs and chat rooms, and
by Monday had reached a world-wide audience. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> The
newspaper was contacted by several large media outlets regarding the story,
including The Los Angeles Times, the Globe and Mail of Toronto, the
Congressional Quarterly, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Also
contacting the newspaper were representatives of national library
organizations, civil libertarians and average citizens. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> The
newspaper received dozens of e-mails from all over the country and as far
away as Paris and Beijing. 

...

  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> A spokesman
for the Department of Homeland Security said the story seemed unlikely. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> "We're aware
of the claims," said Kirk Whitworth, a DHS spokesman in Washington, D.C.
"However, the scenario sounds unlikely because investigations are based on
violation of law, not on the books and individual might check out from the
library." 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> Mr.
Whitworth pointed out that while the original story stated the student was
visited by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the DHS does not
actually have its own agents. Under the umbrella of the DHS are Immigration
and Customs Enforcement, the Inspector General, the Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Coast Guard, among
others. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> Mr.
Whitworth could not comment on the record whether the agency monitors
inter-library loans, or whether there is a watch list of books that the
agency maintains. 

...
 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> Some new
information has come to light since the initial story. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> The student
made his inter-library loan request for "The Little Red Book" at UMass
Dartmouth, which did not have the book in its stacks, to UMass Amherst, the
state's largest public university. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> Bloggers who
deconstructed the story online pointed out -- correctly -- that a Social
Security number is not required in the application for an inter-library loan
at UMass Dartmouth. 
  <http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-21-05/tab.gif> Ed
Blaguszewski, a spokesman for UMass Amherst, said it is university policy
not to discuss or divulge any information on library borrowing. When asked
whether federal agents requested information on a student's inter-library
loan request, Mr. Blaguszewski said that under the Patriot Act, the
university "is not allowed to discuss whether federal agents have visited or
requested information." 

Aaron Nicodemus can be reached at  <mailto:anicodemus () s-t com>
anicodemus () s-t com

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