Tuesday, April 9, 2019

What e-books at the library mean for your privacy


What e-books at the library mean for your privacy

Back in 1995, printing company Quad/Graphics didn't let its employees in Saratoga, New York, access the internet. But that didn't stop the workers from figuring out a way to get online during business hours. 

E-books and audiobooks, now standard at libraries, make protecting privacy harder. Titles are usually provided through private companies, which can access your data. And today's software can create more comprehensive records about you than a simple list of the books you checked out. (You can also get many e-books and audiobooks online free and legally.)

Libraries are also using software behind the scenes to collect data about how you use their services. It's called customer relations management software, and it helps libraries market and customize their services.

It's up to librarians not to connect a patron's library records to the demographic information from Analytics on Demand, and the ALA's Berman says the service provides librarians with too much information. Still, there's comfort in knowing many librarians stick to their privacy principles -- even if you blow your company's budget by surfing the web at work.


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