Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library’s interlibrary loan program. The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand’s class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents’ home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.
The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a ‘watch list,’ and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further. ” (South Coast Today)
However, a followup on librarian.net reports that the UMass Dartmouth library denied passing on any interlibrary loan data to the Feds. And on David Farber’s Interesting People listserv, one of the student’s professors quoted in the article denied that the story is true. An email to the reporter of the story has so far gone unanswered…
