Privacy in Practice: Library Public Services and the Intersection of Personal Ideals

Abstract

Anonymity. Confidentiality. Privacy. These similar, yet distinct, concepts require nuance in a setting that is both public and highly personal. Your public library is just that: yours but also public. How do these concepts and the way individuals value them personally become reconciled within the library, a public institution that both safeguards and shares information? How do the privacy rights of adults and children, guardians and intimate partners, intersect and diverge at the library?