#sjsulibr24611bigdata

This question is an interesting question for libraries. Social Media offers many ways for libraries to connect with their clientele (patrons/students/faculty/staff) and to develop innovative ways to serve the public.

The ALA Bill of Rights ensures Intellectual Freedom and Privacy for patrons (obviously there’s more, but I’m focusing on these two.) Many (maybe even most) libraries limit the amount of information they track on patrons in order to avoid pressure from government agencies subpoenaing specific information in the name of national security. I came across an 11-year old article (written by a student in SLIS SJSU program no less) “Libraries and National Security: An Historical Review” by Joan Starr. It was very interesting to see how libraries have changed their tune over the years. During World War I libraries were very active in working with government agencies. “In addition to information restriction, military authorities also requested librarians’ assistant in patron surveillance. In the spring of 1918, military intelligence issued an order to remove from libraries any materials on explosives, as well as to report the names of requestors to the Army. Libraries readily complied, some developing innovative methods for reducing and monitoring access to the materials.” (Starr) Compliance continued throughout World War II and the McCarthy era.

Current practices are the opposite—the pendulum has swung on the other side entirely. One of our classmates described a situation of the parent of a teen wanting to know what books are checked out on the teen’s library card in order to avoid late fees/replacement fees, something that was denied to the parent.

The question remains, how much data to collect? It seems logical that tracking searches, circulation trends, etc. can assist in collection development, help patrons find additional information and help the library find direction in what sort of programs they should develop for their patrons. On the other hand, how much should librarians enter into the parental sphere in the name of intellectual freedom?

My local library seems to limit the amount of big data that is saved. I can only see what books I’ve checked out currently, but not a history. Searches on the online catalog will show me what titles I’ve looked at during my session and I can turn off that feature at any time. They use Polaris, so I don’t know if this is a limitation of the software. I must admit that I wouldn’t mind seeing more “suggestions” based on my searches. I like this feature in Amazon. The use of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter seems to be solely used to promote library programs and events. I think they could take it to the next level. Incidentally, they are hiring someone to work on this aspect of the library! (I may apply, but I actually don’t quite have all they are looking for.)

I think the basic key to maneuvering the questions of “big data” and use of social media for libraries is education and information. What this actually means should be determined by the needs of the community.

My Tumblr post is 2 days late—I actually had trouble writing on this topic. I’ve rewritten this post many times and have had to reign in my ramblings. Hopefully this final version has retained some focus.

References

Libraries and national security: An historical review by Joan Starr

First Monday, Volume 9, Number 12 6

December 2004