Ebbie, I sure do!

First, think of everything you've read. Second, write it down.

Any library on an automated system (as far as I know, and I'm familiar with the larger systems) maintains a record of who has what checked out ONLY as long as that person has it checked out (and usually for a short time afterwards, in case the item is found to be damaged -- say, 10 days). The record of who checked the item out is wiped when someone else checks out the item. Briefly, the library only knows (or cares) who has an item as long as the item is checked out (plus a bit, usually determined by the library).

For 99.9% of library patrons, there is no record, no list, of what any patron has checked out in the past.

About that 0.1% -- that's the homebound folks, those who for one reason or another (age, disability, etc.) can't get to the library and the library brings the books to them. Records are maintained on what these people check out because if someone's been homebound for a some time the librarians who do the work don't remember whether or not the patron has read a particular book. Mind you, this is NOT a function of the standard library software, but an additional product that has to be purchased. Lots of libraries don't have such software, or maintain such lists manually. Mind you, not many criminals or terrorists are nonogenerians in wheelchairs....

Of course, if you keep an item, the library will know who took it out. And it is possible that backup tapes could be scanned, but that would only be for a short period as these tapes are reused.

Briefly put: libraries don't maintain records on who took out what for very long. To do so would be too costly in terms of money, staff, and storage, and libraries have a tough enough time making ends meet now.

A library which keeps manual records of circulation might be able to do some such, but you'd have to go through every book. The records aren't kept the way the Justice Dept. would like them, I guess. Helping the cops hasn't been part of the library's mission in the past. 8-)

However -- your email is another story. THAT doesn't have to be read at the point where it's created, but can be read at any server between the point of creation and its destination.

Librarians are just pissed off about the erosion of rights...we all should be.