Practitioner and consultant Woodward packs a lot of practical advice along with some very scary information as she describes what librarians can do to protect patrons from identity theft, what specific tools businesses and others use to mine data, how record-keeping figures into protecting patrons from risk, and how to develop a step-by-step plan to keep the bad guys at bay. Her chapters on the ramifications of the Patriot Act on privacy and on educating patrons and advocating safer ways of using the net are especially helpful. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Learn about the threats and pitfalls of electronic privacy, and arm yourself with a solid plan to protect the privacy of your patrons.
Library computer users are often novices and may not be aware that even seemingly innocuous information supplied to Web sites can be mined by government agencies, unscrupulous businesses, and criminals. Even the donated computers that libraries accept and pass on to others can reveal confidential information like social security numbers. The recent discovery that online service providers have been supplying vast quantities of data to government agencies without the public's knowledge has dramaticallly brought the threat to light. This book will help you, as a librarian, understand the dangers and pitfalls of electronic privacy and develop a solid plan to protect the privacy of your patrons.