[WEB4LIB] Privacy concerns with new live web reference software

[Ilene Frank (REF)]

On Sun, 2 Jul 2000, Jenette Yikles wrote: 

> HOWEVER,  ... the software also raises some significant privacy issues, that 
> I think we all need to be thinking about ... especially if the software does 
> become widely adopted for reference purposes.   More specifically, the 
> software saves complete transcripts of all reference interactions (including 
> all chat and URLs visited)... 

Ummmm... , I don't want anyone to get unduly alarmed, but *any* email
reference allows for archiving of complete transactions of both reference
questions submitted and librarian responses. Your institution may actually
require that all computer transactions be logged and archived.  Don't we
all have privacy policies that include email archives as protected
information?

Nonetheless Jenette's point is well-taken. Some of us met online to
discuss University of Florida's pilot "RefExpress" project. As I remember
we thought it would be a good idea to let users know if their chat was
being transcribed. 

-- 
Ilene Frank, Reference Dept.
Tampa Campus Library, LIB 122 
University of South Florida, Tampa FL 33620
ifrank at lib.usf.edu        Work 813.974.2483
http://www.lib.usf.edu/~ifrank/