Pro Se Patrons in the Law Library: The Case for Privacy in the Digital Age

Maintaining privacy and confidentiality of library patron records is especially difficult in a digital world, but is increasingly critical given the large amount of information that is and can be collected. Privacy is especially important in a law library with respect to pro se patrons because they are entitled to two layers of protection: general library protections (statutorily and ethically) and a work product privilege protection for those who are either actively in or in anticipation of litigation. In this digital era, libraries are not taking a holistic view of records and need to be mindful of how personal information is stored on computers and can be vulnerable to hacking. Law librarians should reexamine and revise their policies and practices to better affirm the values of the profession and provide an improved, more confidential service to patron