Skill for (private) life.pdf

Digital inclusion – a proposal to provide equal access to the benefits of the Internet – is a national initiative supported by public libraries in the UK. Following the Snowden revelations however, many library workers have argued that digital inclusion gives scant regard to end-users’ digital privacy. Yet public libraries have protected access to information for a number of years through ethical principles recognising privacy as an important provision for the right to read and receive ideas. In the US, public librarians appear to understand that a lack of privacy in one's intellectual activities chills enquiry. This has resulted in many dynamic initiatives which teach end-users the value of digital privacy and introduce them to essential privacy-respecting tools. Comparatively little was known about whether public librarians in the UK, recognised these concerns and whether they had acted upon them in the interests of their communities. This study focuses on the activities of exemplary public library services in the UK, in order to report on the character of their digital privacy initiatives and in doing so, identify their rationales. The research explores their relevance to existing service strategies, the risks and barriers to implementation, and the potential for wider replication. This was fulfilled through the study of relevant literature and the application of practical research. The latter was carried out though a multiple case study involving three public libraries.