Joan Airoldi is the former director of the Whatcom County Library System in Washington state.
In June 2004, with the support of staff from the Deming Library, a branch of the Whatcom County Library System, Airoldi 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grand jury subpoena was eventually issued, the library prepared to challenge it in court, and the subpoena was quickly withdrawn.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]
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 "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.
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 decided to legally contest any forthcoming subpoenas.
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 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.
By July 14, it emerged that the FBI had retracted the grand jury subpoena, a significant development in this case.[2]
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."[3]
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 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.[3]
Airoldi received the 2005 PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award in recognition of this act.[4][5] The Deming Library staff were similarly recognized, receiving a Human Rights Award in 2005 from the Whatcom County Human Rights Task Force.[6]