Privacy

In 2014, a Spanish lawyer successfully required Google Spain to modify its index so that certain websites were not included in search results for his name. Since then, this decision has both been lauded as a victory for privacy rights, as well as labelled a serious threat to freedom of expression and the public historical record.

From a library and information sciences perspective, the interesting question is whether this manipulation of search results conflicts with the professional and ethical obligations that we hold as librarians and information specialists to provide ethical access to information. And, from a more practical viewpoint, while not yet recognized in Canada, it has also started to have an impact on some of the work we do to preserve information, such as local newspaper digitization projects.

Learn more about this so-called “right to be forgotten” and how it might affect your library work in the future, as well as Canadian privacy law more generally.

Shannyn was a municipal councillor, library board trustee and local board member from 2013- 2017 when she became a privacy breach victim. With a unique work-related knowledge of access and privacy legislation, Shannyn embarked on a challenging journey to understand Alberta’s access and privacy legislation as it relates to public bodies and individuals' rights. Her experience as a trustee and breach victim can help public bodies such as libraries understand that serious consideration should be given to preparing privacy breach response plans, including communication strategies that are as open as possible. A good communication plan with the affected individuals is a cornerstone of an organization’s response to a privacy breach, but only if that plan is in place and tested before the breach occurs.
Learning Objectives:

• Define how to recognize a privacy breach.
• Examine the 5 step response plan.
• Discover how to become a privacy champion for your library!