School librarians have a critical role to play in supporting the use of Ed Tech within our schools. It is an ever-changing field. Additionally, it is often the school librarian who has the unique responsibility of introducing and sharing new technology with their school community. However, school librarians also have the added responsibility of…

Governments around the world propose to improve urban life by creating smart cities filled with sensors and other digital technologies that would collect large amounts of data about citizens and their activities. Ideally, smart cities would use the information they gather to enhance the urban environment and improve the quality of life of their…

Discriminations against members of the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ) community have been reported in every sphere of life, including in libraries. This paper reviewed the literature on transgender studies particularly in relation to the role of libraries. It highlights the problems faced by transgender people in accessing…

In this first issue of "Research Library Issues" ("RLI") in 2019, the authors explore privacy from a legal, digital, and applied perspective, with a focus on the implications and opportunities for research libraries. The current privacy landscape highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of the complicated nature of…

Libraries are the central resource for supporting faculty and students in their research and information needs, both physically and remotely. This essential role of libraries and library faculty has remained consistent amid significant technological and pedagogical changes within the community college system. As librarians continue to determine…

Librarians face many challenges when dealing with issues of privacy within the mediated space of social networking sites. Conceptually, social networking sites differ from libraries on privacy as a value. Research about Generation Y students, the primary clientele of undergraduate libraries, can inform librarians' relationship to this important…

The U.S. government has sought to restrict the freedoms of its citizens in times of war from World War I to the present. The banners of fear, war, terrorism, and nationwide security placed constitutional rights under a renewed scrutiny. This paper will focus on the passage of laws that restrict academic and intellectual freedoms during war, and…

Libraries of government departments provide information to policymakers, to government staff and employees, and, sometimes, to the general public. It is essential that libraries of government departments are organised and managed so as to collect and provide the information most needed by government decision makers, government workers, and the…

Explores the nature of privacy with regard to information about the individual and reviews governmental legislation affecting confidentiality in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, focusing particularly on the role of computers and the library. (FM)

Teenagers will freely give up personal information to join social networks on the Internet. However, a 2007 study by the Pew Internet and American Life project found that most of the 55 percent of teens who place their personal profiles online take steps to protect themselves from the most obvious areas of risk. Parents, teachers, and librarians…

This fourth lesson in a continuing education course on legal issues affecting libraries and librarians discusses the library's rights and legal responsibilities in the areas of censorship and intellectual freedom, the Freedom of Information Act and patron privacy, problem patrons, and ethical considerations of library services. (14 references)…

Discussion of consequences of library automation argues that technology should be used to augment access to information. Online public access catalogs are considered in this context, along with several related issues such as system incompatibility, invasion of privacy, barriers to database access and manipulation, and user fees, which contribute…

While revised ethical codes provide helpful guidelines, reference archivists face many ethical questions raised by rapidly evolving technology, changing expectations, and inconsistent privacy laws that have no clear answers. Discusses issues related to reference searching, codification of ethics, cultural property and the responsibility of…

Examines the issues of a lifetime of service to portray the future as an opportunity for librarians to achieve a leadership role in the information age. Freedom of information versus privacy, censorship, user needs, and technological advancement are discussed in the context of intellectual freedom. Six references are listed. (RAA)

These six articles related to government information policies in New Zealand cover topics including policy reform, legislation, the office of privacy commissioner, organizing statistics, the restructuring of the National Archives of New Zealand, and the policy role of the national library. (BEW)