Thinking about a thing called privacy: A reflection through example

Abstract

Academic librarianship holds in its foundation and core values a very important task—protecting the privacy of everyone who enters the library space. In order “[f]or libraries to flourish as centers for uninhibited access to information, librarians must stand behind their users’ right to privacy and freedom of inquiry.” Libraries provide access to information to individuals who do not have access to it at their homes. Libraries give people a choice about how to go about their information inquiries, and choice in libraries “requires both a varied selection and the assurance that one’s choice is not monitored.” Protecting privacy has become a focus in recent years with the emergence of urbane technology and opportunity for greater surveillance. Because of this, privacy and surveillance literacy need to become a core part of information literacy instruction.