American Library Association. Office of Intellectual Freedom. Logos for Choose Privacy Week used with permission from the Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Every year libraries celebrate Choose Privacy Week from May 1-7, and this year’s theme is “Practical Privacy Practices.”
Get an Early Start!
On April 13, there will be a one-hour free webinar reviewing privacy practices librarians can take in three areas:
- Installing free HTTPS certificates on your websites using Let’s Encrypt (presenter: Mike Robinson, head of systems at the Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage),
- Providing anonymous web browsing using TOR browser and other tools (presenter: Alison Macrina, founder of the Library Freedom Project and,
- Configuring and managing an integrated library system (ILS) (presenter: Marshall Breeding, creator and editor of Library Technology Guides).
Sign up for the webinar at the Office for Intellectual Freedom eLearning web page. Webinars are recorded and available for later on-demand viewing.
During Choose Privacy Week…
American Library Association. Office of Intellectual Freedom. Logos for Choose Privacy Week used with permission from the Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Throughout Choose Privacy Week, ten bloggers will share their practical privacy tips, tricks, and guidance.
- Introduction to CPW and its theme, Mike Robinson, chair of the ALA IFC Privacy Subcommittee
- Anonymizing/de-identifying patron data, Becky Yoose, Library Applications and Systems Manager, Seattle Public Library
- Data exchange, Galen Charlton, Infrastructure Manager, Equinox Open Library Initiative
- Public computing, Matt Beckstrom, Systems Librarian, Lewis & Clark Library, Helena, Montana
- Negotiating contracts with vendors, Eric Stroshane, Library Development Specialist, North Dakota State Library
- Writing privacy policies, Nancy Kranich, Special Projects Librarian for Rutgers University Libraries
- Piwik alternative to Google Analytics, Adam Chandler, Maureen Morris, and Melissa Wallace
- Checklists for Library Privacy Guidelines, Sarah Houghton, Director for the San Rafael Public Library, California
Choose Privacy Week Website Redesign
Coming soon, the Choose Privacy Week official website will undergo a redesign. Check out the new look!
Practical Privacy Resources for School Librarians
Use these resources to plan for a great Choose Privacy Week celebration and protect your students’ privacy all year long:
- “The Privacy Problem” by Helen Adams, School Library Journal 2011 article with 13 steps to protect students’ privacy in your library.
- “The Problem with Student Privacy, and How to Protect It” by Lauren Barack, School Library Journal 2017 article with school-related privacy concerns and includes valuable resources for librarians.
- ALA “Library Privacy Guidelines for Students in K-12 Schools,” which provides information on the importance of privacy, privacy policies, privacy audits, collection and retention of data, encryption, data sharing, learning management systems, and instructing students about privacy.
- ALA “Library Privacy Checklist for Students in K-12 Schools” can be used to audit current library privacy and implement the “Library Privacy Guidelines” in stages.
- US Department of Education. Privacy Technical Assistance Center. “Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services: Model Terms of Service.” This document provides guidance and best practices for protecting students’ privacy when using online educational services, websites, and apps.
- Choose Privacy Week’s “Students & Minors Privacy – Selected Resources.” This is a treasure trove of information on privacy laws, articles, checklists, news, and legislative updates.
Author: Helen Adams
A former school librarian in Wisconsin, Helen Adams is an online senior lecturer for Antioch University-Seattle in the areas of intellectual freedom, privacy, library ethics, and copyright. A member of the AASL Knowledge Quest Advisory Board, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, and a KQ blogger, she is the author of Protecting Intellectual Freedom and Privacy in Your School Library (Libraries Unlimited, 2013) and contributor to The Many Faces of School Library Leadership (2nd edition, Libraries Unlimited, 2017). Email: hadams1@centurytel.net.
Categories: Blog Topics, Intellectual Freedom
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