Protecting Patron Information

With the increase of companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple tracking information online and across multiple platforms, as well as revelations about government surveillance, it is increasingly important that libraries work to preserve their patrons' privacy online and in the library.

Threats to Patron Privacy Online
Google announced in 2012 that it would start collating data collected from users' use of Google Search, Youtube, Gmail, and other Google products, so as to more easily recommend ads and relevant information. However, privacy organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation pointed out that this can also reveal identifying information such as location, age, sexual orientation, religion, and interests, which could be shared with entities the users wouldn't want it to be (Paul, 2012).

There is also the concern of government surveillance of Facebook, Twitter, and similar social media platforms. A Department of Homeland Security document retrieved through a Freedom of Information lawsuit discusses monitoring Facebook and other websites to determine positive and negative reactions to government policies. While as far as is known these sort of reports have mostly been used to inform DHS of possible situations such as hazardous material spills and bomb threats, the possibility does exist it might be used to track dissent (Nakashima, 2012). It is in times like this, when both corporate and government entities are beginning to collect information on what people do online, that libraries need to be clear in how they will protect patron information. While there are limited things that libraries can do about tracking of online searching and social media, making patrons aware of these issues would be valuable, as would taking efforts to ensure that library websites, OPACs, and ILSs keep patron information within the library itself as much as possible

Library 2.0 Concerns
Libraries have traditionally protected patron privacy through limiting their tracking of patron activities, having short-term data retention policies, and making it as easy as possible to browse materials anonymously. However, with the introduction of Library 2.0 technologies such as synchronous messaging, social tagging, comment and rating systems, and social networking all present issues of creating additional data that is able to be tracked, through the creation of user accounts which might be able to tie identifying characteristics such as a patron's name, IP address, or physical address to their library activities (Zimmer, 2013). Librarians therefore need to be aware of these privacy concerns, and make sure to either keep information as secure as possible, make patron participation as anonymous as it can be, or ensure that patrons are aware of the possible privacy issues so they can act accordingly.