Patriot Act

Prepared by Leslie Harris & Associates

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Welcome to the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy's online course on Online Privacy. This tutorial will help librarians to understand the range of privacy issues, especially those arising as libraries provide Internet access and electronic services to patrons. Additionally, this tutorial will suggest best practices for safeguarding patron privacy. By the conclusion of this course, we hope you will be confident that you can recognize potential privacy problems as they arise, assist patrons of all ages in protecting their own privacy, and take steps to ensure that your library acts responsibly to protect patron privacy.

This tutorial will cover a broad range of issues including:

Libraries and Online Privacy

New Challenges to Privacy

Privacy and the Library Profession

Constitutional Origin of the Right to Privacy

Federal Statutory Limitations on the Right to Privacy

Introduction to Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

Implications of COPPA for Public Libraries

Children and Privacy in School Libraries

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

State Limitations on Privacy

Law Enforcement and Patron Privacy

The USA Patriot Act

Role of Libraries in Protecting User Privacy and Confidentiality

Online Data Collection

What is Personally Identifiable Information?

Tools Used for Collecting Online Data

Implications of Online Data Collection for Librarians

Managing Cookies

Privacy Enhancing Tools

Network Security

Privacy Policies on Consumer Web Sites

The Distinction Between Opt-in and Opt-out

Creating a Privacy Policy

What is a Privacy Audit

Conducting a Privacy Audit

Tips for Protecting Privacy Online

This tutorial is intended to provide librarians with a real- world understanding of privacy rights as policies and technologies continue to evolve. It is critical that librarians understand the privacy implications of providing Internet access to patrons, management of Internet use, as well as how to work with law enforcement agencies, and their changing responsibilities to their patrons. Each segment of this tutorial will include additional reference material for those readers interested in learning more about a particular privacy topic.

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Further information:

ALA's Privacy Resources Page:

http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/privacyresources.html

The Federal Trade Commission's Privacy Initiatives Page:

http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/

Privacy Journal: http://www.privacyjournal.net/

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Information Technology Policy

Disclaimer

This Online Privacy Tutorial is a service of the American Library Association. The content of this tutorial is primarily the work of Leslie Harris & Associates in Washington, DC. The views expressed in these messages are not necessarily the views of ALA or Leslie Harris & Associates. This tutorial is for information only and will not necessarily provide answers to concerns that arise in any particular situation. This service is not legal advice and does not include many of the technical details arising under certain laws. If you are seeking legal advice to address specific privacy issues, you should consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.