Do you know who is tracking you?

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Published: Sunday, 28 April 2013 17:27

National public awareness campaign helps library patrons understand privacy rights in ditigal age

In a time of “Big Data” someone is tracking your every move. Whether it’s your location, your phone calls, your Facebook posts, your purchases or the websites you visit, your daily activities are monitored, recorded, collected and stored. But all too often, you can’t tell by whom.

Everyone should have the right to know who’s collecting their information and choose how their private data is used.

In the past, privacy could be protected by closing a curtain, sealing a record, or simply choosing not to share one’s information. But in today’s digital environment, more and more of our personal information exists online, available and vulnerable to anyone with prying eyes and access to a computer. This makes individual control over one’s personal information a vital and compelling concern for Americans today.

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom has established Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7, to help libraries work with their communities around these complicated but vital issues. Privacy has long been a cornerstone of library services in America and a freedom that librarians defend every day.

Choose Privacy Week invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. The campaign gives libraries the tools they need to educate and engage users, and gives individuals the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy.

“People who understand how personal data is generated, collected, stored and used are better equipped to take control of their personal data and demand accountability from the agencies and corporations that store and use their information,” said Barbara Jones, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Librarians have a long history of protecting the rights of people to read, learn, and be curious, because the freedom to read and receive ideas anonymously is at the heart of individual liberty in a democracy. This makes libraries ideal places for people to think and talk about privacy today.

The Pulaski County Public Library is participating in the fourth annual celebration of Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7, 2013. The Library will provide interested patrons with a “Privacy Toolkit”, complete with information regarding digital privacy and a statement on library patron privacy. Patrons who visit the Library to obtain a toolkit will be entered into a drawing for two
tickets to the Melody Drive-In Theater.

For more information on Choose Privacy Week, visit www.chooseprivacyweek.org or contact Pat Ringen at (574) 946-3432.

Submitted by the Pulaski County Public Library