The Boulder, Colorado Public Library does not want to have to comply with the Patriot Act's provision allowing for library records to be turned over to the Feds. So it has instituted a policy that will prevent its ability to do so:

If a federal agent asks a Boulder librarian for a list of all the books checked out by John Q. Public in the last month, the answer will be "Records? What records?"

"People have a right to read what they want to read without other people looking over their shoulder," said Priscilla Hudson, manager of the Boulder Public Library's main branch.

The library has decided to almost completely stop recording what books patrons have checked out. The library will keep tabs only while a book is checked out; when the book is returned, that record will be purged from the library's computers.

While purging records is not unique to Boulder, librarians from other areas say Boulder's move to delete records just to thwart investigators' requests, is unusual.

Also in Boulder, there are no sign-up sheets for using computers. They don't want to know who is using them. If they don't know, they can't tell. Beautiful.