Webcast today at noon PDT- personalized services in libraries - privacy issues

For California Library folks:

Privacy Issues:
RFID, Patron Holds, RSS Feeds, Personalized Reading Lists, Etc.  (Lori Bowen Ayre and me)

Personalized services and convenience are the gold coin of today. Can these services be introduced without compromising user privacy? Are there legal implications if patron preferences or personal information is not properly safeguarded?

Webcast: April 5, 2007
Time: 12pm-1pm

Note - this is slated to be turned into an Infopeople podcast as well.

Comments

[Lori Bowen Ayre]

I don't know what other readers do but I'd be more inclined to take your approach but then provide the PIN over the phone. It's more secure than email! But email is probably fine really. Definitely they should change it right after that though.

You could offer to call them back at their home number (on file) to ensure the PIN is being given out to someone authorized to have their card.

[Mary Minow]

The key is to make sure you’re not disclosing the PIN to someone other than the individual (unless you have the individual’s authorization in writing).

I admit I’m thinking out loud here, but I think it could be reasonable to use standard methods that companies use – i.e. email the PIN to the user, based on an email address that’s already in the patron file. Then advise the user to change the PIN after he gets it (if he wants to ensure its integrity) since it’s sent “in the clear” and others could readily intercept the message.

If time isn’t burning (ha!) you could certainly offer to mail it to the patron, addressed to the snail mail address in the patron’s own record.

What do other readers do?

[David Peterson]

Hi, I attended today's webinar and found it quite interesting. Unfortunately I lost my connection at the very end during the discussion of handling patron information during telephone interactions. I would have had a follow-up question which I will post here, hopefully for a reply. "One of the most frequent telephone/written communications from patrons is that they don't have their library card PIN. What would be the proper way to instruct staff to handle providing PIN information to patrons via telephone conversations?"