Privacy Policies and Practices with Cloud-Based Services in Public Libraries: An Exploratory Case of BiblioCommons

Abstract

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.

Participatory Approaches for Designing and Sustaining Privacy-Oriented Library Services

“…The LIS profession has also witnessed increasingly widespread concern about digital surveillance as libraries in the United States grapple with the consequences of facing ICE in the wake of the PATRIOT Act (Jaeger, McClure, Bertot, and Snead 2004;Matz 2008;Carpenter 2015;Lamdan 2019;). Libraries have also worked to enhance the privacy of web protocols (Askey and Arlitsch 2015), web analytics (Chandler and Wallace 2016), and cloud-based library services (Kritikos and Zimmer 2017). Profession-wide training and conversations about the implications of digital surveillance have strengthened the field's stance against unnecessary data collection, and has provided us with tools and partnerships necessary to understand complex technological issues, raise awareness for privacy, and advocate against surveillance.…”

BiblioComprehension

“…Since its first affirmation of privacy in 1939, the ALA has connected privacy with the right to intellectual freedom, which is considered another cornerstone of ethics in librarianship (ALA Council, 2017). As Kritikos and Zimmer (2017) have argued, intellectual freedoms "are threatened in an atmosphere in which library use is monitored and individual reading and library-use patterns are available to anyone without permission" (p. 24). The commitment of librarians to patron privacy as well as strong policies governing the collection, retention, and destruction of patron records ensure that patrons' rights are upheld.…”

“…Through adopting the Web 2.0 model, libraries can also encourage "purposeful and regular changes [and invite] users to participate in the creation of both the virtual and the physical library services they desire" (Shahnaz et al, 2013, p. 367). Discovery tools are a key part of libraries' adoption of Web 2.0 (referred to as Library 2.0), with the goal of making services like the catalogue more accessible and appealing to today's users (Kritikos & Zimmer, 2017). Calhoun et al (2009) conducted a study to determine how users interact with library catalogues and how they would like the catalogue to work.…”

“…This seemingly benign statement reveals that BiblioCommons actively collects and uses patron data ("details your patrons care about") to create a better product. Kritikos and Zimmer (2017) Because "there are currently no open source options for web-scale discovery tools" (Pekala, 2017, p. 48), libraries are reliant on tools built and controlled by third party companies. This is problematic insofar as libraries entrust these companies with patron data but do not have the ability to ensure that these discovery platforms conform to library standards for information privacy.…”

“…Specifically, the Code of Ethics highlights patrons' right to confidentiality when engaging in information seeking activities (Kritikos & Zimmer, 2017). Thus, libraries must find ways to balance the use of cloud computing and collection of patron data with their ethical responsibility to uphold patrons' rights.…”