Preserving Patron Privacy in the 21st Century Academic Library

For libraries large and small, patron privacy is an important ethical issue. While librarians may espouse privacy and confidentiality as an inalienable individual right, ensuring this right is upheld across library departments can be challenging, especially when 21st century technology tools are considered. For all libraries, developing a privacy policy or statement is an essential initial step in ensuring patron privacy and confidentiality are consistently in force. This article examines how one large Midwestern academic library remedied its lack of a public privacy statement; this case study presents a series of strategies that other libraries can consider for evaluating -- or establishing -- their own public privacy policies.