Apology (Was: Privacy, the USA Patriot Act, electronic fingerprinting to replace library cards etc.)

[Chris Gray]

On second thought I consider my own joke ill-timed and in bad taste.

I apologize for any offense given.  It was not my intention to belittle
either Mr. Poynder or this list or the issues raised for discussion.

Next time I will try to remember that it is better to think twice before
hitting send.

Chris Gray
Systems Analyst
University of Waterloo Library

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, Chris Gray wrote:

> Before we answer your questions, how do we know you are who you say you
> are?
> 
> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, Richard Poynder wrote:
> 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I'm a freelance journalist, and have been asked to write something for
> > Information Today (http://www.infotoday.com/it/itnew.htm) on privacy
> > issues in the library. The stimulus for this is the current debate in
> > the US over the Patriot Act and the use of it by US enforcement agencies
> > to ask to see details of what books patrons have been reading. I
> > understand that the University of Illinois has done some research in
> > this area for instance. But I believe there have also been discussions
> > about the use of library filters in connection with privacy and the web,
> > with electronic fingerprinting to replace library cards (see for
> > instance the UK story at:
> > http://www.observer.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,764247,00.html), and
> > with proposals in, for instance the UK, to introduce ID cards that would
> > double up as library cards (and driving licence etc.), and no doubt
> > there are other privacy issues facing librarians today.
> > 
> > The sort of issues I am interested in include:
> > 
> > 
> > To what extent is the Patriot Act being used to check on the reading
> > habits of library patrons? How has this changed the situation? Is this
> > good or bad?
> > 
> > What other privacy issues are there that librarians should be aware of?
> > 
> > What should librarians do to protect the privacy of their patrons?
> > Should they?
> > 
> > What duties (legal and ethical) do librarians have to society/law
> > enforcement agencies to reveal sensitive/private information? 
> > 
> > Do librarians have librarian/client privilege?
> > 
> > Do library training courses currently include ethical issues like
> > privacy? Should they?
> > 
> > What's the world coming to if I can't read with anonymity a library
> > book? 
> > 
> > Or is this merely a fair and unnoteworthy price to pay for protecting
> > the world against terrorists?
> > 
> > Is this mainly a public library issue, or are there similar/different
> > issues for academic and corporate libraries?
> > 
> > How much is this a specifically US issue? 
> > 
> > Are there comparable issues in other countries? What issues?
> > 
> > In what way is technology changing the debate? Is it?
> > 
> > What is the current situation, for instance, with regard to library
> > automation systems: are they encouraging the use of new technological
> > methods that might cause privacy concerns (maintenance of records on
> > reading habits/ electronic fingerprinting techniques etc.), or are they
> > being designed to automatically erase records. Is this good or bad?
> > 
> > Are there issues also with regard to the tracking of usage of online
> > databases like Dialog/Lexis-Nexis etc.? What issues?
> > 
> > Other issues?
> > 
> > I welcome comments for anyone with views and/or personal experience of
> > this. I am happy for any comments to be on or off the record (so long as
> > I know who has contacted me), and I have no pre-set agenda or story line
> > to spin. I just want to explore the issues. As such I would be keen to
> > hear from both those who vehemently oppose anything they view as
> > amounting to an invasion of privacy, as well as those who may think it
> > is a small price to pay for national/international security, and can't
> > see what the problem is.
> > 
> > Thanks in advance.
> > 
> > Richard Poynder
> > 
> > 
> > Richard Poynder    
> > Freelance Journalist
> > Phone: + 44 (0)191-386-0072
> > Mobile: 0793-202-4032
> > E-mail: richard.poynder at journalist.co.uk
> > Web: www.richardpoynder.com
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > *********************************************************************
> > Due to deletion of content types excluded from this list by policy,
> > this multipart message was reduced to a single part, and from there
> > to a plain text message.
> > *********************************************************************
> > 
> 
>