Article note: on undergrads and library privacy issues
Citation for the article:Johns, Steven and Karen Lawson, “University undergraduate students and library-related privacy issues.” Library and Information Science Research 27 (2005): 485-495.Read via ScienceDirect.I have been reading about privacy and libraries recently; at least, it feels that way. This short piece provides an overview of things to consider in terms of protecting students’ privacy in the academic library setting. For librarians, this can be challenging because students don’t always think about their privacy issues and rights when it comes to the library. The article is a report on a survey conducted at Iowa State University between 2003 and 2004. The survey sought to learn how university students see issues and concerns about online privacy. The survey drew on students enrolled in a library orientation for-credit course. Some notes from the article:Why a study like this may be significant? “There is little available literature about undergraduate students’ knowledge and perceptions of online privacy issues, their opinions regarding who should collect and retain information about them, for what purposes, and under what circumstances” (488).A quick finding: “having a good grasp of computer skills did not correspond to having detailed knowledge about privacy-related information” (490). This is not really surprising. Just because they can use a computer does not mean they know how to protect their online privacy. It does not mean they are information literate either in spite of assumptions some people may make. I found it interesting that the authors in the study considered the use and distribution of their campuses “Computer Code of Ethics.” They mention that “it is not widely distributed to incoming students in any way” (490). I have been trying to find out here if there is some form or degree of distribution to the students of our computer ethics document, but the answers have not been forthcoming. …
Tags: Campus, Late, Science, State, term, University