E-Resources and the Privacy Paradigm Shift for Librarians

Abstract

The goal of the current study is to examine e-resource librarians’ perceptions on privacy standards in the U.S. in contrast with the privacy standards of the European Union. The current privacy standards in the U.S. are lax and inconsistent in nature in comparison with the privacy standards of the European Union. As e-resource librarians provide access to library resources, certain patron data is being shared with third party businesses. In many cases, no effort is made to inform users about what information is being shared or who is collecting that information. The information from this study will be used to inform the researcher on privacy values and beliefs of e-resource librarians.