[WEB4LIB] Re: [Fwd: Google, libraries, and privacy]

[Karen Coyle]

On Mon, 2004-12-20 at 11:06, Joseph Murphy wrote:
> On Dec 19, 2004, at 3:13 PM, Thomas Dowling wrote:
> >>> ...Google has used a cookie with a unique ID in it that
> >>> expires in 2038...
> >
> > Not on my machine they don't.
> 
> Thanks, Tom. You've helped me to finally figure out how to explain, in 
> good LIS terms, why cookies just don't concern me as a privacy issue.
> 

I don't think that the issue here is about cookies, although the points
made on that topic are interesting. Let me expound on what I see as the
real problem. It's really no different to the privacy issue that comes
up with every vendor that libraries work with. In our contracts for
licensed materials, we always impose certain rules relating to user
privacy. This isn't just some kind of nutty thing that libraries do --
depending on what state your live in, your state law requires that the
confidentiality of library use be protected to some extent. I feel
strongly that any service that we promote in the library should meet the
privacy standard that the law requires. If it doesn't, we should warn
users.

Admittedly, when users search on Google they are not "using the
library." But the privacy issue is one that we should consider before we
turn searching for library materials over to a non-library entity. Some
of the articles I saw and some of the quotes had an element of: "well,
libraries can't afford to do this, so it's great that Google will do it
for us." Google isn't doing it FOR Libraries, Google is doing it for
Google. Which is fine as long as we realize that, and realize that it is
not a substitute for library service. Not only does it not follow some
important standards (give me an author search, for pity's sake!) it will
not fulfill our professional and legal obligations to our users. So
enjoy it for what it is (Google finding another way to make money off of
content) but let's not pretend like it's an extension of the library.
-- 
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Karen Coyle
Digital Library Specialist
http://www.kcoyle.net
Ph: 510-540-7596 Fax: 510-848-3913
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