tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561369698387264915.post196680889154844232..comments2023-09-06T11:23:51.992-04:00Comments on the Anthropologist in the Stacks: The meaning of "library," and thinking about privacyDonna Lancloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05808845005669459897noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561369698387264915.post-91132454484862821172011-04-12T17:52:45.285-04:002011-04-12T17:52:45.285-04:00I think that at the university level there is more...I think that at the university level there is more good than harm that can come from having the history. Checking out a book on any topic doesn't mean anything except that there was a curiosity for knowledge. As for its usefulness, it is useful not only for the purposes of recommending, but also in instances where a student may have read something at some point, but forgot what book they checked out and then need to go looking for that information again. The library already has an opt-in system ("My Reading History"), which I believe is the best way to implement such a record keeping system. There is no reason for everyone to be automatically included, but it should be a choice that each borrower makes the first time they utilize the library (or invokes at a later time by request).Curtis M. Kularskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17286832811154995578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561369698387264915.post-70904394198115138612011-02-18T12:51:22.327-05:002011-02-18T12:51:22.327-05:00That is an excellent question about Amazon. The r...That is an excellent question about Amazon. The results of the tax-privacy lawsuit, where Amazon refused to release customer data to states (including North Carolina) looking to collect tax revenue from Amazon sales (http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/02/10/1861021/north-carolina-settles-privacy.html) suggests that Amazon is willing to fight for some kinds of customer privacy. I have no idea if they would have any standing in the face of a subpoena intended to collect information about possible criminal behavior.Donna Lancloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05808845005669459897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561369698387264915.post-15965330960930772842011-02-18T12:46:09.927-05:002011-02-18T12:46:09.927-05:00With more library assets moving online, one experi...With more library assets moving online, one experience I acutely miss is the ability to find chance discoveries by browsing the stacks.<br /><br />To remain relevant and compelling, the library catalog needs to be as compelling and usable as an online storefront like Amazon. This is simply the expectation I arrive with when I search for materials.<br /><br />If the Amazon purchase data is also subpeona-able, then I would not see this as a significant additional burden on my privacy. Is this the case, or has Amazon determined a way to protect its users' privacy?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com