A Study of Public Library Patrons' Understanding of Library Records and Data Privacy

Abstract

As instances of private information leak increase, taking steps to protect such information becomes a necessity. In this study of public library patrons, we strove for a comprehensive understanding of library usage records to suggest viable solutions for private information safety in public libraries. To this end, we investigated the patrons’ understanding of library usage records and determined the relationship between different user characteristics and privacy knowledge or leaks. The results show that a high number of patrons perceived these records as their own private information, but that there was no necessity for legal procedures or consent for the use of these records. Also, even though the understanding of these usage records showed that there was a relationship between the frequency of library visits and leaks of personal information, the correlation was not particularly strong.