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The NSA Furby Memo (1999)

In 1999, the National Security Agency (NSA) issued a fascinating internal memo about an unexpected security threat: Furbies. The cuddly, owl-like toys, popular for their lifelike responses and "learning" abilities, were rumored to record conversations and repeat them—sparking concerns that they could compromise sensitive information.

However, what should have proven to be a simple internal affair turned into a comedy goldmine when the NSA's Furby ban was leaked to and subsequently picked up by media outlets, including The Washington Post and BBC News. This resulted in the Furby Memo of 1999, which has since been declassified via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

In an internal listserve discussion, NSA employees remark humorously on both the ban and the resulting media attention, with exchanges questioning whether the entire incident is "a little embarrassing to the agency" while others joked about the possibility of a "FURBYGATE."

Although later proven that Furbies lack actual recording capabilities, the memo highlights the NSA’s vigilance over even seemingly trivial security risks in the late '90s, at a time when the interplay between consumer tech and privacy was burgeoning.

Today, this memo is a curious reminder of the early stages of digital surveillance and its implications in consumer technology—foreshadowing contemporary anxieties around AI, data privacy, and cybersecurity. The Furby memo remains a quirky yet poignant snapshot of how the government responded to emerging tech’s potential risks in the digital age.

Citations:

National Security Agency. (1999). Furby Memo. Partially declassified and released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

UW Libraries Catalogue Entry: Permalink

Fulltext available via the Internet Archive

National Security Agency. (1999). Furby Memo: Policy Questions. Partially declassified and released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

UW Libraries Catalogue Entry: Permalink

Fulltext available via the Internet Archive

Furby Photo Credit: M.L.

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Project MKULTRA, the CIA's program of research in behavioral modification : joint hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research of the Committee on Human Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, first session, August 3, 1977

Summary: This report includes the transcript from a congressional hearing in 1977 which investigated the unethical research methods employed by the CIA for Project MKULTRA and similar initiatives. Research studies such as Project MKULTRA were government funded programs which studied mind control and behavior modification techniques on human test subjects in the 1950s through the 1970s. Also included in this report are funding requests and project proposals between the people involved in running Project MKULTRA and the parties responsible for supplying funding. Many names, project specifics, project intentions, and locations remain redacted.

Photographed are the title page for the report and a project proposal/funding request.

The following quotation is the stated objective from the project proposal pictured above.

"Objective: To study the possible synergistic action of drugs which may be appropriate for use in abolishing consciousness."

— Page 111 (page number printed on the document page) / Page 119 (page number on HathiTrust's digitized version of the report)

HathiTrust Permalink to document

APA (7th ed.) Citation: Project MKULTRA, the CIA’s program of research in behavioral modification : joint hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research of the Committee on Human Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, first session, August 3, 1977. (1977). U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1977.

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Preserving Historic Lighthouses: An Annotated Bibliography

"The greatest expansion of the number and types of lighthouses occurred after 1852 when the Lighthouse Service was reorganized and the U.S. Lighthouse Board was created. This was an age of industrial technology and expanding international shipping. As taller and stronger towers were needed, or as lights moved further off shore, wood piling and cribbage systems were replaced with sunken cast iron caissons; brick towers exceeded 160 feet in height; pre-fabricated cast iron units made towers more cost effective; available technology produced skeletal iron and steel towers. At the beginning of the 20th century, concrete towers and later reinforced concrete towers, capable of withstanding earthquakes and hurricane strength winds, were constructed, many on the west coast or north Atlantic."

This is an annotated bibliography of resources and publications related to the preservation of historical lighthouses in the United States, published by the National Park Service for the owners, architects, and administrative teams planning work on these buildings, many of which are slated to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Martone, C. M., Park, S. C., McCroskey, L., United States. National Park Service. Preservation Assistance Division. (1989). Preserving historic lighthouses: an annotated bibliography. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Preservation Assistance Division. Full text available via HathiTrust.

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Sometimes the Government Printing Office distributes Very Important Publications, like procedures for impeachment, labor policies, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

Other times, the Government Printing Office publishes “Facts About Eggs.” And this is the THIRD leaflet about eggs published by the GPO. 

What are some facts about eggs?  1. Different eggs are suited for different purposes. 2. Eggs can be served at any meal. 

That’s it. Those are all the facts about eggs.

United States. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Facts about Eggs of Value to Housewives. CIS US Executive Branch Documents, 1910-1932 ; No. A36.24-3.D. Washington: [publisher Not Identified], 1928.

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Happy National Library Week!

First observed in 1958, National Library Week is “an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities” (American Library Association). This year’s theme is “Find the Library at Your Place,” which highlights virtual services and digital content offered by libraries, especially during this global pandemic. To kick off National Library Week, the State of America’s Libraries Report released their list of the top ten frequently challenged books during 2019. 

To Find Your Place at the Library, check out some of UW’s digital collections!

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“With more and more women in war jobs there is an increasing demand for specially designed work clothes. Whether the job is in a factory, on a farm, or in the home, women want work outfits that are both practical and comfortable, yet inexpensive to make or buy” (3). 

The US Department of Agriculture produced a monthly bulletin for farmers covering a wide range of topics including crop diseases, recipes, and pest control. The bulletins also occasionally covered topics on rural living, such as this bulletin from 1942 which gave pattern descriptions for women’s work clothes. The patterns themselves were available to buy from patternmakers. While the outfits were primarily designed to allow for ease of movement, the patterns are also made for “a pleasing appearance” and women are encouraged to construct their clothing in a “becoming color.” 

Scott, Clarice L. Work Clothes for Women. Farmers' Bulletin (United States. Department of Agriculture) ; No. 1905. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1942.

Full text available via HathiTrust.

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“It is my hope that these materials, some of them previously scattered in select libraries and in some cases out of print for more than a century, will now be more readily accessible to Members of Congress and to a larger segment of the American community” (Rodino, III).

In our country’s history, only four presidents have faced formal impeachment inquiries: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and now Donald Trump. Of these, two have been formally impeached by Congress (Johnson and Clinton), but no sitting president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. Other presidents were the subjects of impeachment resolutions submitted to the House of Representatives, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, but these were never brought up for voting by the House Judiciary Committee. Because the process of impeachment is so complicated and so rarely encountered, many Americans and even members of Congress are unfamiliar with the procedures. As the chairman of the House Committee of the Judiciary in 1973, just a few months before formal impeachment hearings began for Nixon, Peter Rodino recognized the lack of easily accessible information regarding impeachment procedures, and compiled materials from a variety of sources for use by both Congresspeople and members of the public. The first volume was a breezy 718 pages, and so wildly popular with Congress and interested citizens that he published a follow-up volume at the beginning of 1974 which provided an additional 900 pages.

When impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton commenced in 1998, there was a similar surge in interest in the impeachment process. In response to numerous requests for information, the chairman of the Committee of the Judiciary once again printed a collection of materials “regarding the constitutional and procedural bases for the impeachment of civil officers of the United States”, this time ending up at a concise 1854 pages.  Although no similar collection has been published yet in response to Trump’s impeachment proceedings, information now is generally more available and accessible via online news sources (and in more manageable chunks). 

United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Impeachment : Selected Materials : Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Ninety-third Congress, First Session. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1973.

United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Impeachment : Selected Materials on Procedure : Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Ninety-third Congress, Second Session. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1974.

United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Impeachment : Selected Materials. Washington: U.S. G.P.O. : For Sale by the U.S. G.P.O., Supt. of Docs., 1998.

If you’re interested in some light bedtime reading, all three volumes are available in full text via HathiTrust.  1973 1974 1998

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In the early 1920s, the Department of Education partnered with state universities and libraries to develop home reading courses, programs that were designed to be independently undertaken and provide the participant with a solid, well-rounded education in various areas of study. The bulletin in the first image describes the program as a “national reading circle,” with people of all ages and various backgrounds participating.

Topics covered include ancient and medieval literature, history, industrial and mechanical occupations, agriculture and country life, and national heroes. Programs were designed to educate women (who had just gained the right to vote a few years prior) on civics, to entertain soldiers still stationed overseas with essays and stories about fighting for freedom and democracy, to provide support for new parents, and to keep children occupied during long school vacations. Upon completion of the course, which usually involved completing between ten to fifteen books and writing book reports (I love reading but thanks no thanks) for the Department of Education, the participant would be rewarded with a certificate (similar to the one in image 2). 

The After War courses pictured in image 3 focused mainly on history and biographies of military and political figures. Specific courses focused on American, French, Russian, English, or Polish history, as well as historical figures such as Joan of Arc, Oliver Cromwell, and Napoleon. 

The fourth and fifth images are two different reading programs for children. The 1924 course was divided by age group and by subject, and children were required to read two books from each section plus nine additional books from any group for a total of fifteen books. The 1926 course, on the other hand, required children to choose just ten from a list of forty, with no restrictions on topics. It’s interesting to look through the list and see which classics are still recommended for children today!

Lombard, E., & United States. Bureau of Education. (1922). Home education by means of reading courses and the cooperation of state and national agencies (Home education circular ; no. 2). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Education. Full text available on HathiTrust. 

United States. Office of Education. (1914-1929). Reading course. Washington: Government Printing Office. Reading courses can be found on HathiTrust. Pictured in this post: “Course no. 7, section B: After War Reading,” “Course no. 26: Sixty Selected Stories for Boys and Girls,” and “Course no. 30: “Forty Books for Boys and Girls.”