LFI 2024/Month 2

Month 2: Privacy in the Library

• Real time lecture: Friday June 21 2-4PM Eastern / 11-1PM Pacific on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/9129428892

Overview

This month we'll discuss threat modeling. We will also talk about library privacy policies and how our practices can often be at odds with them, the data lifecycle in libraries, and library vendors and their various discontents. We'll talk about expectations of convenience from library patrons, and how that conflicts with privacy goals. We'll also be assigning small groups this month.

Learning objectives

• Learn about threat modeling
• Begin learning about privacy best practices
• Learn about the data lifecycle in libraries
• Learn best practices for library privacy policies
• Learn about library vendors and their issues

Readings (don't worry about getting through all of them! read what you can!)

• Lynda's Privacy Problem by Sam Lee
• History of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Library Technology Industry
• "Public libraries unwittingly offered 'hate' books through a private service" from WGBH
• Video: Your Journals Are Spying on You by Sarah Lamdan
• LFP Resource: Responding to Law Enforcement in the Library
• Data Lifecycles privacy advocacy guide
• NISO Privacy Principles
• LFP Library Privacy Policy Template
• ALA Library Privacy Guidelines
• Library Privacy and Vendor Management: A Privacy Oriented Overview of the Vendor Relationship Lifecycle
• ALA Library Privacy Checklists
• Protecting Patron Privacy: Librarians, Vendors, and Patrons Each Have a Role to Play
• EFF’s How to Assess Vendors’ Data Security

Guest lecturer

Sarah Lamdan

Discussion

• Brief discussion of month one readings
• How can you use threat modeling to create more robust/holistic privacy policies at your institution? What are the specific details that should get addressed in a comprehensive privacy policy?
• How does your library's policy measure up to the best practices? (Note: you don't have to identify the library in the discussion)
• What challenges might you face trying to update your library's policy to meet best practices? Implementation? Enforcement? Making the policy a priority at all?
• How do we communicate to patrons about how we collect and use their data? How are we transparent when these practices are not great? How are we communicating abut vendor practices?
• What should you look for in a vendor agreement, privacy policy, or terms of service?
• Where do you see opportunities for resisting or challenging the vendor practices we discussed today? What are small, harm reduction steps? What are starting points for bigger action?
• What power do we have to advocate against bad vendor practices and products?

Tasks

• Lecture, readings, and participate in discussion questions in Discord