Considers how privacy issues related to online profiling affect library patrons and what librarians should do to protect them. Discusses the need for a privacy policy and provides guidelines from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) privacy statement generator that can be adapted for libraries. (LRW)

Discusses privacy issues related to electronic libraries. Highlights include finding guidance and information on the Web, including the American Library Association, Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center; legal responsibilities in maintaining privacy rights of patrons who access the Internet; and…

Discusses problems with patron Internet access in academic libraries and describes a study conducted at Northwestern University (Illinois) that used Internet tracking software to assess user Internet behavior. Topics include Internet use policies; pornography; and loss of control over library services and information content that is provided. (LRW)

The public library has become the locus for public anxiety about children's access to objectionable material on the Internet. Discusses Judith Krug's (Director of the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom) defense of unrestricted access, acceptable use, and filtering software. Highlights six filtering programs (client and…

Presents tips for building a secure library system to guard against threats like hackers, viruses, and theft. Topics include: determining what is at risk; recovering from disasters; developing security policies; developing front-end security; securing menu systems; accessing control programs; protecting against damage from viruses; developing…

Suggests that a definitive court ruling is needed to better define rights and responsibilities related to the First Amendment and libraries' Internet use policies so that libraries can provide a comfortable environment for users while maintaining the law. Discusses filters; court cases; claims of the anti-porn cult; research studies on how much of…

Intended to be a practical guide to the issues that arise under the First Amendment for libraries that provide public access to the Internet, this book contains the following chapters: (1) "Questions and Answers about the First Amendment: Sex, Lies, and Cyberspace"; (2) "Basic First Amendment Principles and Their Application to…

With the 1996 defeat of the Communications Decency Act, under which providing offensive material on computer systems accessible to children would have become a felony, no legal guidelines exist for library use of the Internet. Libraries can avoid becoming the center of an Internet controversy by encouraging parental involvement; by protecting…

This document reports results of an online survey that examined practices and procedures in the management of electronic resources in 65 academic library reference departments. Responses are related to: (1) student population; (2) library use by community people; (3) number of public access workstations, workstations with World Wide Web access,…

With increasing Internet access, library media specialists are implementing acceptable use policies to govern student conduct online. Policy components include definition and purpose; rights, responsibilities, and risks; penalties; and parental consent. Effective policies have input from all community members, are concise, and serve as guidelines…

This paper investigates the need for electronic provision of information, and advises that the purpose and motivation for providing electronic resources be explored before embarking on a project to provide them. Many projects at universities and other institutes have been begun arbitrarily just because there happened to be financial resources…

This book, written by graduate students at the Catholic University (District of Columbia) School of Library and Information Science, examines current priorities, policies, and practices of public libraries. Following an introduction, "Reinventing Libraries: Responding to the Forces of Change" (Lisa Crisman), chapters include: (1) "A…