Message de Gérard Briand, président de l'Association des bibliothécaires français, 
à Mr John W. Berry, President, American Library Association : 
  
Dear friends, 
As president of the French Librarians Association I should like to express our friendship to the American colleagues in these difficult times for democracy. We all know that the purpose of libraries is to give the way to knowledge and justice for every people and we certainly can fight together fot this issue. 
Best Regards. 
Salut et Fraternité 
BRIAND Gérard 
Président ABF 
Réponse de Mr John W. Berry à Gérard Briand : 

Dear Gerard, 
Thank you so much for the kind words of support from you and your colleagues in France. The friendship of our colleagues around the world is a source of great comfort as we try to fully understand what has happened and how to deal with the many challenges we now face. We have shared your note with our colleagues who are also grateful for your concern and support. 
About 80 special libraries were destroyed in the attack in New York City as well an Army library at the Pentagon. The American library community is working to assess the most effective ways to help those libraries rebuild. 
We have also learned that some of the terrorists used public access internet computers in 
public, and perhaps other libraries in at least two states to communicate. About 98% of American public libraries offer free public access to the Internet, so this did not come as a particular surprise, but it does present additional challenges. 
We thought you might be interested in a joint statement in response to the events of last week. 

Library Community Statement on Freedom of Speech and Access to Information 
America's library community mourns the innocent victims of the recent terrorist attacks. We send our deepest sympathy to their families, friends, and other survivors. We also extend our appreciation and heartfelt support to the thousands of police officers, firefighters, volunteers, and other emergency personnel in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania who have sacrificed so much to assist others. 
As our Nation and, indeed, the World move forward during this time of mourning and recovery, libraries continue to serve a diverse array of communities across our Nation with information and library services that celebrate the freedom of speech and access to information that we all embrace. By maintaining, on a daily basis, the balance between access to information for all, the privacy rights of our users, and the responsibility to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, libraries continue to be cultural and living symbols for the freedoms we enjoy. 
As stated so eloquently by Abraham Lincoln in a letter to an old friend in Illinois during the final days of the Civil War, "freedom is not some arbitrary right that is bestowed upon us because of the virtuous nature of our national character. It is a right we must protect and defend in both times of promise and peril if we are to remain in the future what we are in the present " a free and honorable people. " 
The library associations listed below support the efforts of our Nation's leaders to protect and preserve the freedoms that are the foundation of our democracy. Libraries serve as critical resources for communities, individuals, and institutions and those concerned about the important need for access to information. We welcome the public's continued use of public, academic, research, special and school libraries. 
American Association of Law Libraries 
American Library Association 
Association of Research Libraries 

With gratitude and thanks for your expressions of condolence and concern during this difficult time, 
I am, 
Sincerely, 
john 
John W. Berry 
President 
The American Library Association 
jberry@psinet.com 
http://www.nilrc.org 
and 
http://www.ala.org/berry