Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:33:54 -0400
From: IFLA Webmaster <[log in to unmask]>

At its 14 August 2015 meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, the IFLA
Governing Board endorsed an IFLA Statement on Privacy in the Library
Environment. The FAIFE Committee oversaw preparation of the Statement
and benefitted from consultation with IFLA units and various Internet
civil liberties advocacy organisations.

This new Statement on Privacy in the Library Environment is intended
to give guidance to libraries and information services in an
environment that includes mass surveillance by governments and routine
user data collection by commercial interests that provide content or
services through the Internet. Risks to library users' privacy might
arise through their use of search or social media applications on the
Web or their use of library platforms and content that collect data on
end users.

The statement describes current challenges to the protection of user
privacy for libraries and information services, outlines relevant
international statements of privacy as a right and identifies related
IFLA policies. Finally, the Statement on Privacy in the Library
Environment offers recommendations to libraries and information
services around both advocacy for privacy protection and practical
measures to protect user privacy in libraries. It recognises that
libraries and information services have little ability to affect some
kinds of data collection about their users, and encourages
appropriately adjusting local library data collection practices,
considering privacy concerns in procuring platforms and services,
informing and educating users of risks and best practices, and
participating in community efforts to promote the protection of
privacy.

SOURCE: http://www.ifla.org/node/9803