Smarter Libraries through Technology

摘要

The ability for the technology systems of libraries to safeguard the privacy of patrons continues to be an issue of utmost importance. The library profession as a whole upholds the privacy of their patrons as they make use of library-provided resources. Most libraries also have privacy policies stating what data they collect about their patrons and how that data will be used or shared. Those values tend to be well understood and enforced in the realm of physical materials. How libraries safeguard patron privacy within their virtual presence appears to be much more uneven. In this issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter, we discuss the complexities of protecting patron privacy in both the physical and virtual arenas and present the results of a mini-study of the current state of practice of patron privacy on the websites of a selected group of large libraries. Unfortunately, this study. reveals a fairly lax level of implementation of the technical mechanisms necessary to protect patron privacy as they make use of library resources via their library's websites and catalogs.