Privacy and Censorship: Another Look

A traditional expectation for publicly funded libraries is that they should be institutions where patron records are kept confidential and a standard of privacy is maintained. After the events of 911, methods increasing search and surveillance powers and reducing legal protections were drafted into law as the “Patriot Act.” Searching patron records can be rendered ineffective by library procedures that keep identifiable information to a minimum. Librarians must make responsible collection development decisions while avoiding the pitfalls of censorship. Information has value, and can help or hinder those in the pursuit of goals. Outsourcing collection development decisions is, therefore, not an ideal practice. Librarians should use their training and experience in the selection of information materials.