Privacy Policies and Practices with Cloud-Based Services in Public Libraries: An Exploratory Case of BiblioCommons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5860/jifp.v2i1.6252Abstract
Public libraries are increasingly turning to cloud-based and Library 2.0 solutions to provide patrons more user-focused, interactive, and social platforms from which to explore and use library resources. These platforms – such as BiblioCommons – often rely on the collection and aggregation of patron data, and have the potential to disrupt longstanding ethical norms within librarianship dedicated to protecting patron privacy. This article reports on the results of a pilot research study investigating how libraries are implementing third-party cloud computing services, how these implementations might impact patron privacy, and how libraries are responding to these concerns. The results of this research provide insights to guide the development of a set of best practices for future implementations of cloud-based Library 2.0 platforms in public library settings.
References
Abdullah, N., Chu, S., Rajagopal, S., Tung, A., and Kwong-Man, Y. 2015. “Exploring Libraries’ Efforts in Inclusion and Outreach Activities Using Social Media.” Libri 65 (1): 34-47. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1515/libri-2014-0055.
Abidin, M. I., Kiran, K., and Abrizah, A. 2013. “Adoption of Public Library 2.0: Librarians’ and Teens’ Perspective.” Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science 18 (3): 75-90. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287559472_Adoption_of_Public_Library_20_Librarians’_and_teens’_perspective.
Al-Suqri, M. N., and Akomolafe-Fatuyi, E. 2012. “Security and Privacy in Digital Libraries: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects.” International Journal of Digital Library Systems 3 (4): 54-61. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.4018/ijdls.2012100103.
Arif, M. and Mahmood, K. 2012. “The Changing Role of Librarians in the Digital World.” The Electronic Library 30 (4): 469-479. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/02640471211252184.
American Library Association Council. 1996. “Library Bill of Rights.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill.
---. 2004. “Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information about Library Users.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/statementspols/otherpolicies/policyconcerning.
---. 2008. “Code of Ethics.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics.
---. 2014. “Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/privacy.
American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee, Privacy Subcommittee. 2014. “Privacy Toolkit.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacyconfidentiality/toolkitsprivacy/privacy.
---. 2016. “Library Privacy Guidelines for Public Access Computers and Networks.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/library-privacy-guidelines-public-access-computers-and-networks.
---. 2016. “Library Privacy Guidelines for Library Websites, OPACs, and Discovery Services.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/library-privacy-guidelines-library-websites-opacs-and-discovery-services.
---. 2016. “Library Privacy Guidelines for Data Exchange Between Networked Devices and Services.” ALA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/library-privacy-guidelines-data-exchange-between-networked-devices-and-services.
Anttiroiko, A.-V. and Savolainen, R. 2011. “Towards Library 2.0: The Adoption of Web 2.0 Technologies in Public Libraries.” Libri 61 (2): 87-99. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1515/libr.2011.008.
Ard, B. J. 2014. “Confidentiality and the Problem of Third Parties: Protecting Reader Privacy in the Age of Intermediaries.” Yale Journal of Law and Technology 16 (1): Article 1. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/yjolt/vol16/iss1/1.
---. 2016. “Librarians as Privacy Advocates.” Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society 12. Accessed March 15, 2017. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=2812703.
BiblioCommons. 2016a. “About Us.” BiblioCommons. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://legacy.bibliocommons.com/about/about-us.
---. 2016b. “How We Work.” BiblioCommons. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://legacy.bibliocommons.com/how-we-work/how-we-work.
---. 2016c. “Participating Libraries: United States.” BiblioCommons. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://legacy.bibliocommons.com/about/participating-libraries/united-states.
Bingsi, F., and Xiaojing, H. 2006. “Library 2.0: Building the New Library Services.” Journal of Academic Libraries 1: 2-5. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DXTS200601002.htm.
Boateng, F. and Liu, Y. Q. “Web 2.0 Applications’ Usage and Trends in Top US Academic Libraries.” Library Hi Tech 32, no. 1 (2014): 120-138. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/LHT-07-2013-0093.
Bowen, G. 2009. “Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method.” Qualitative Research Journal 9 (2): 27-40. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/47652758/document-analysis-as-qualitative-research-method.
Boxen, J. 2008. “Library 2.0: A Review of the Literature.” Reference Librarian 49 (1): 21-34. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1080/02763870802103597.
Breeding, M. 2011. “New York Public Library Partners with BiblioCommons.” Smart Libraries Newsletter 31 (9): 2-4. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://librarytechnology.org/repository/item.pl?id=16143.
---. 2016a. “Issues and Technologies Related to Privacy and Security.” Library Technology Reports: Privacy and Security for Library Systems 52 (4): 5-12. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/5973.
---. 2016b. “Power Plays: Library Systems Report 2016.” American Libraries (blog), May 2. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/05/02/library-systems-report-2016/.
Campbell, D. G. and Cowan, S. R. 2016. “The Paradox of Privacy: Revisiting a Core Library Value in an Age of Big Data and Linked Data.” Library Trends 64 (3): 492-511. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/89851/64.3.campbell.pdf?sequence=2.
Casey, M. 2005. “Working Towards a Definition of Library 2.0.” LibraryCrunch (blog), October 21. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.librarycrunch.com/2005/10/working_towards_a_definition_o.html.
Casey, M. E. and Savastinuk, L. C. 2006. “Library 2.0: Service for the Next-Generation Library.” Library Journal 131 (1): 40-42. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234619983_Library_20_Service_for_the_Next-Generation_Library.
Casey, M. E. and Savastinuk, L. C. 2007. Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.
Courtney, N., ed. 2007. Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow’s User. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Deodato, J. 2014. “The Patron as Producer: Libraries, Web 2.0, and Participatory Culture.” Journal of Documentation 70 (5): 734-758. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/JD-10-2012-0127.
Doyle, C. 2003. “Libraries and the USA PATRIOT Act.” Congressional Research Service Report for Congress RS21441. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/advleg/federallegislation/theusapatriotact/CRS215LibrariesAnalysis.pdf.
Evans, B. 2008. “Library 2.0: The Consumer as Producer.” Information Today 25 (9): 1-54. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/34584073/library-2-0-consumer-as-producer.
Farkas, M. G. 2007. Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online. Medford, NJ: Information Today.
Foerstel, H. 2004. Refuge of a Scoundrel: The Patriot Act in Libraries. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Foerstel, H. 1991. Surveillance in the Stacks: The FBI’s Library Awareness Program. New York, NY: Greenwood Press.
Goldner, M. R. 2010. “Winds of Change: Libraries and Cloud Computing.” BIBLIOTHEK Forschung Und Praxis 34 (3): 270-275. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://docplayer.net/2025170-Winds-of-change-libraries-and-cloud-computing.html.
Gorman, M. 2000. Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Century. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
Greiner, T. 2013. “Hold that Book, But You’re Risking Your Privacy: Guest Opinion.” The Oregonian: Oregon Live, July 12. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/07/hold_that_book_but_youre_riski.html.
Gressel, M. 2014. “Are Libraries Doing Enough to Safeguard Their Patrons’ Digital Privacy?” The Serials Librarian 67 (2): 137-142. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1080/0361526X.2014.939324.
Hess, A. N., LaPorte-Fiori, R., and Engwall, K. 2015. “Preserving Patron Privacy in the 21st Century Academic Library.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 41 (1): 105-114. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2014.10.010.
Hoffmann, A. L. 2016. “Privacy, Intellectual Freedom, and Self-Respect: Technological and Philosophical Lessons for Libraries.” In Perspectives on Libraries as Institutions of Human Rights and Social Justice, edited by Jaeger, P. T., and Bertot, J. C., 49-69. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/S0065-283020160000041003.
Huvila, I., Holmberg, K., Kronqvist-Berg, M., Nivakoski, O., and Widén, G. 2013. “What is Librarian 2.0: New Competencies or Interactive Relations? A Library Professional Viewpoint.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 45 (3): 198-205. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1177/0961000613477122.
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. 2013. “IFLA Trend Report.” IFLA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://trends.ifla.org/.
---. 2016. “IFLA Trend Report 2016 Update.” IFLA.org. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://trends.ifla.org/update-2016.
Kennedy, B. 1989. “Confidentiality of Library Records: A Survey of Problems, Policies and Laws.” Law Library Journal 81 (4): 733-767. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://works.bepress.com/aallcallforpapers/51/.
Kwanya, T., Stilwell, C., and Underwood, P. G. 2012. “Library 2.0 Versus Other Library Service Models: A Critical Analysis.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 44 (3): 145-162. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1177/0961000611426443.
Lambert, A. D., Parker, M., and Bashir, M. 2015. “Library Patron Privacy in Jeopardy: An Analysis of the Privacy Policies of Digital Content Vendors.” Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology 52 (1): 1-9. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.asist.org/files/meetings/am15/proceedings/submissions/papers/98paper.pdf.
Lankes, R. D., Silverstein, J., Nicholson, S., and Marshall, T. 2007. “Participatory Networks: The Library as Conversation.” Information Technology and Libraries 26 (4): 17-33. Accessed March 15, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/ir/12-4/colis/colis05.html.
Library Freedom Project. 2017. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://libraryfreedomproject.org/.
Lilburn, J. 2015. “‘Secrets Are Lies’: Academic Libraries and the Corporate Control of Privacy in the Age of Commercial Social Media, a Reading of Dave Eggers’ The Circle.” Paper presented at CAPAL15: Academic Librarianship and Critical Practice, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31-June 2. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://capalibrarians.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2B_Lilburn_paper.pdf.
Litwin, R. 2006. “The Central Problem of Library 2.0: Privacy.” Library Juice (blog), May 22. http://libraryjuicepress.com/blog/?p=68.
Lwyoga, E. T. 2013. “Measuring the Success of Library 2.0 Technologies in the African Context: The Suitability of the DeLone and McLean’s Model.” Campus-Wide Information Systems 30 (4): 288-307. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/CWIS-02-2013-0011.
Magi, T. 2011. “Fourteen Reasons Privacy Matters: A Multidisciplinary Review of Scholarly Literature.” The Library Quarterly 81 (2): 187-209. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=libfacpub.
---. 2010. “A Content Analysis of Library Vendor Privacy Policies: Do They Meet Our Standards?” College & Research Libraries 71 (3): 254-272. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=libfacpub.
Magi, T. and Garnar, M., eds. 2015. Intellectual Freedom Manual (9th ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
Mahmood, K. and Richardson, J. V. 2013. “Impact of Web 2.0 Technologies on Academic Libraries: A Survey of ARL Libraries.” The Electronic Library 31 (4): 508-520. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/EL-04-2011-0068.
Mainka, A., Hartmann, A., Orszullok, L., Peters, I., Stallmann, A., and Stock, W. G. 2013. “Public Libraries in the Knowledge Society: Core Services of Libraries in Informational World Cities.” Libri 63 (4): 295-319. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1515/libri-2013-0024.
Maness, J. M. 2006. “Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries.” Webology 3 (2). Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.webology.org/2006/v3n2/a25.html.
Mannheimer, S., Young, S. W. H., and Rossmann, D. 2016. “On the Ethics of Social Network Research in Libraries.” Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 14 (2): 139-151. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1108/JICES-05-2015-0013.
Mathiesen, K. 2015. “Human Rights as a Topic and Guide for LIS Research and Practice.” Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 66 (7): 1305-1322. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1002/asi.23293.
McFadden, R. 1987. “F.B.I. in New York Asks Librarians’ Aid in Reporting on Spies.” The New York Times, September 18. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/18/nyregion/fbi-in-new-york-asks-librarians-aid-in-reporting-on-spies.html?pagewanted=all.
Morgan, C. 2006. “Intellectual Freedom: An Enduring and All-Embracing Concept.” In Intellectual Freedom Manual (7th ed.), edited by Morgan, C., 3-13. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
Murley, D. 2007. “What Is All the Fuss About Library 2.0.” Law Library Journal 100 (1): 197-204. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers2.cfm?abstract_id=1022343.
Murphy, D. 2003. “Some Librarians Use Shredder to Show Opposition to New F.B.I. Powers.” The New York Times, April 7. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/us/some-librarians-use-shredder-to-show-opposition-to-new-fbi-powers.html.
Narciso, D. 2016. “Few Patrons Using Columbus Metropolitan Library’s New Online System. The Columbus Dispatch, April 29. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/29/few-patrons-using-columbus-metropolitan-librarys-new-online-system.html.
New York Public Library. 2011. “The New York Public Library and Bibliocommons Partner to Create a New Innovative, Interactive Online Experience.” NYPL.org (press release), June 20. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.nypl.org/press/press-release/2011/06/20/new-york-public-library-and-bibliocommons-partner-create-new-innovati.
Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438 (1928) (Brandeis, J., dissenting). Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/277/438.
Richards, N. 2015. Intellectual Privacy: Rethinking Civil Liberties in the Digital Age. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
---. 2013. “The Perils of Social Reading.” The Georgetown Law Journal 101 (3): 689-724. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://georgetownlawjournal.org/articles/134/perils-of-social-reading/pdf.
Robbins, L. 1991. “Toward Ideology and Autonomy: The American Library Association’s Response to Threats to Intellectual Freedom, 1939-1969.” Doctoral Dissertation. Denton, TX: Texas Woman’s University. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/35558832_Toward_ideology_and_autonomy_the_American_Library_Association's_response_to_threats_to_intellectual_freedom_1939-1969.
Rustad, M. L. 2016. Global Internet Law in a Nutshell (3rd ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Academic Publishing.
Sanchez, R. 2003. “Librarians Make Some Noise over Patriot Act.” The Washington Post, April 10. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/04/10/librarians-make-some-noise-over-patriot-act/91bcbbc6-65a6-41d2-855d-d78b4c7945d2/.
Scardilli, B. 2015. “Four Discovery Services to Watch.” Information Today, October 6. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Four-Discovery-Services-to-Watch-106716.asp.
Warfield, P. 2015. “Privacy Concerns Abound over BiblioCommons.” Bay Area Reporter, January 15. Accessed March 15, 2017. http://ebar.com/openforum/opforum.php?sec=guest_op&id=497.
Wójcik, M. 2015. “The Use of Web 2.0 Services by Urban Public Libraries in Poland: Changes Over the Years 2011-2013.” Libri 65 (2): 91-103. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1515/libri-2015-0017.
Zimmer, M. 2014. “Librarians’ Attitudes Regarding Information and Internet Privacy.” The Library Quarterly 84 (2): 123-215. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.1086/675329.
---. 2013a. “Assessing the Treatment of Patron Privacy in Library 2.0 Literature.” Information Technology and Libraries 32 92): 29-41. Accessed March 15, 2017. https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/viewFile/3420/pdf.
---. 2013b. “Patron Privacy in the 2.0 Era: Avoiding the Faustian Bargain of Library 2.0.” Journal of Information Ethics 22 (1): 44-59. Accessed March 15, 2017. doi:10.3172/JIE.22.1.44.
---. 2008. “Preface: Critical Perspectives on Web 2.0.” First Monday 13 (3). Accessed March 15, 2017. http://firstmonday.org/article/view/2137/1943.