<div dir="ltr"><p><a href="https://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/16885" target="_blank">From ACRL blog</a></p>
<p>The ALA Intellectual Freedom Manual Review Working Group, which
reviewed all documents in preparation for the next edition of the
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Intellectual Freedom Manual</span></em>, recommended consideration of updating the
<a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue">Library Bill of Rights</span></em></a> in a narrow manner to add an Article VII focused on the concept of ensuring privacy and confidentiality
for library users.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The rationale:</span></strong></p>
<p>Article III of the <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Code of Ethics</span></em>
includes the protection of the library users’ privacy and
confidentiality as a responsibility of library staff’s professional
responsibilities; however, the
right of library users to privacy and confidentiality is not included
in the <em>
<span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Library Bill of Rights</span></em>.</p>
<p>The <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Code of Ethics</span></em> provides ethical guidance to
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">library staff,</span></em> while the
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Library Bill of Rights </span>
</em>does not specifically include privacy and confidentiality among its
articles described as “basic policies” which should govern the services
of all libraries.</p>
<p>When adopted as policy by a library’s governing body, the <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Library Bill of Rights</span></em> can represent
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">the library’s promise </span></em>to the user.</p>
<p>In an era of big data, Facebook revelations, and tenuous privacy protections and data security, the
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Library Bill of Rights</span></em>
should be amended to include the expectation (and promise) that
libraries protect users’ privacy and maintain the confidentiality and
security of their personally identifiable
information.</p>
<p>The Intellectual Freedom Committee would appreciate feedback on this article draft by
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Friday, December 21</span></strong>. Feedback can be posted in the following two ways:</p>
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal">
Use this <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WpTtpZIrChVs_jhY90uSvMmzXL0hxPtnBld3aeWCzIM/edit" target="_blank">
Google Doc link</a> to post feedback to Google Doc draft. The IFC
requests that you post comments on the document, rather than edit the
document directly. To post a comment, select “Insert” in the top menu,
and then click “Comment.” Comments may be posted anonymously
(if you’re not signed into a Google account) or publicly (if you’re
signed into your Google account).</li><li class="MsoNormal">
Using “track changes,” add comments and edits to the attached Word doc draft. You can email them to me (<a href="mailto:glynnj@kenyon.edu" target="_blank">glynnj@kenyon.edu</a>) or post them as a comment to
<a href="https://connect.ala.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=1db9e140-c2ce-4284-b249-606707c0414f&CommunityKey=927d02c1-673b-4e91-9911-8fdf8dc3407f&tab=digestviewer#bm1db9e140-c2ce-4284-b249-606707c0414f" target="_blank">
this ALA Connect post</a>, and I’ll forward it to working group members.</li></ul>
<p>The Intellectual Freedom Committee will make revisions to the drafts
in light of your suggestions and plans to distribute the documents to
ALA Council prior to the Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The committee
also plans to present them at ALA Council Forum
for further feedback.</p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><span><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="1">Danielle Jones</font><div><font size="1"><i>Oregon Library Association ALA Chapter Councilor</i></font><br></div><div><font size="1"><i>Teen and youth librarian at Multnomah County Library</i></font></div><div><font size="1"><i>My pronouns are she, her, hers</i></font></div></div></div></span></div></div></div>