Abstract of the Article:
Sturges (2002) contends that the first rule of netiquette is “respect for the human”. For him, librarianship is not just about books and information system but more of respecting the individuality of every library user; but the challenge lies in this very basic value. By protecting individuality, the library is ensuring the users a space to be themselves. In being themselves, a number of users utilize the Internet as a means for their malicious or criminal behavior. To curb these behaviors, administrators block a number of sites or randomly checked users as they use the Internet facility of the library. In doing so, libraries somehow exploit user data and ultimately encroached on one’s individuality. As Sturges (2002) aptly stated, “the dilemma faced by the library administrators was weather serious offence and distress caused by a few people justified monitoring and controlling the access of a blameless majority”. Thus, the challenge for libraries is to institutionalize policies that would seek to balance individual privacy and community values.
3 Things I learned:
1. The issue of privacy is merely one of the sub-issues of ownership.
2. Semantics of ownership include: solitude (ownership of space), anonymity (ownership of one’s name and details about oneself), bodily modesty (ownership of one’s body), psychological integrity (ownership of contents and workings of one’s mind), and confidentiality (ownership of information about oneself).
3. Findings of the research at Loughborough University at the United Kingdom suggest that “there is a dangerous gap between the privacy protection that the public believes the library offers, and the preparedness of librarians for providing this protection”.
Application / Implication:
The findings of the Loughborough Research demands that upholding the privacy of users should not just be lip service; the commitment to do it should be initiated and constantly carried out by librarians and information professionals in our own respective backyard. This emanates from the fundamental value that each of us (users and library staff) has our own individuality, distinct, unique, and allow me to add special. Despite individual differences, there is a family or another person loving the library user whom we least like. In the same manner that whenever we use the Internet; no matter how long we sit in front of our computer or how complex and abstracted our interaction with the computer machine, somehow at some point behind the interface is another human being, equally seeking respect and care --- like you and me.
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