Personal Information and the Public Library: Compliance with Fair Information Practice Principles

Libraries collect personal information from users and link that information to internal library records. Although they fiercely protect the privacy of their patrons, libraries cannot ensure that personal information will remain confidential. Patrons must therefore have sufficient information to make informed decisions about release of personal data. Privacy notices are the accepted mechanism for providing this information. Our study demonstrates, however, that Ontario public libraries rarely provide notice to patrons regarding information collection and use. Smaller libraries and those without MLS-trained staff are less likely to provide notice, suggesting that resources and/or staff training may contribute to this lack. We suggest that national or provincial organizations may want to support libraries in the development of privacy policies.