Information Freedom, Ethics, and Integrity

11:00 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

11:10 - 11:45 a.m. Privacy in the 21st Century: Why it matters now more than ever

In this keynote address, Bill will talk about the changing world of data in libraries and the academic world at large.

In most libraries and research institutions, the original practice of data collection, storage, transmission and retrieval dates back to an analog era when the very terms “books”, “research”, “information”  and even “privacy” had vastly-different meanings and contexts than they do today.

How do we manage privacy in the modern research and public library: institutions born largely in the 19th century, which grew up in the 20th century, and that now need to survive and flourish in the 21st century?

We are institutions faced with a key challenge of how to provide an ever-expanding array of services and information and do so when they often come laden with privacy-related concerns never even imagined as recently as 25 years ago.

If, as New York Public Library President Tony Marx recently commented, “Libraries are universally-trusted resources that provide a safe harbor during difficult times,” how do such organizations protect and preserve the privacy and confidentiality of those seeking that safe harbor?

11:45 - 12:15 p.m. Data Collection and Privacy in Library and Learning Management Systems

This talk will provide an overview of the data that might be collected and analyzed from library and learning management systems, including the types of user data that could potentially be considered sensitive or confidential. It will frame the ethical questions around data privacy in the context of the growing movement toward learning analytics for student success in institutions of higher education. The talk will identify several different approaches to data collection and will highlight policy decisions that should be considered when planning a data analytics project.

This talk will emphasize concrete case studies from institutions that have collected and analyzed specific data from library or learning management systems to assist in assessment activities and to demonstrate the value of libraries within their broader community. These case studies demonstrate ways that libraries can work to leverage user data while simultaneously taking proactive steps to protect user privacy.

12:15 - 12:45 p.m. Privacy in the Context of Content Platforms and Discovery Tools

The recent highlighting of Facebook's data collection, processing, and release to third parties has raised concerns about how users are profiled by the actions they take on a platform. Could the same thing happen on content platforms and discovery tools? What does your patron's searching, browsing and reading history say about research they are conducting? This session covers the types of data commonly collected via content platforms and discovery tools and they kinds of analytics that might be applied to that data. This session also covers new responsibilities and requirements from the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and provides pointers to the depth of information available for publishers, service providers, and libraries.

12:45 - 1:45 p.m. Lunch Break

Lunch

1:45 - 2:15 p.m. Information Security and Library IT

The library IT department frequently interacts with both Central IT and industry providers regarding security concerns and problems. A range of issues can occur which impact access to systems and resources. The library must protect itself from security threats, and also has to maintain some level of protection for content providers while providing access to members of the community. Security and authentication are issues which need to be dealt with through the institution, the library IT department and industry providers. In this complex environment what are things we can do today to protect both libraries and content providers? What should we be doing today to better prepare for tomorrow?

2:15 - 2:45 p.m. The Right to be Forgotten and Digital Collections: Surveying Practice and Policy at ARL Member Institutions

In the spring of 2017, digital librarians at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions were surveyed on practices and policies surrounding takedown requests in openly accessible digital collections. The survey collected demographic information and also presented a series of hypothetical scenarios for respondents to consider and reflect upon. The survey received a 25.8% response rate, with many intriguing insights into how practitioners consider these type of requests. Survey findings and general background on the topic of the right to be forgotten will be presented, along with a discussion on future recommendations for work in this area.

2:45 - 3:15 p.m. Your Search Algorithm is Political

Artificial intelligence is a human rights issue in the 21st century. Data scientists and engineers work outside the context of the civil and human rights abuses that algorithms foster. STEM education provides little engagement with issues giving future developers tools or stake in these issues. In this talk, I provide evidence from my new book, Algorithms of Oppression  about Google Search, the way it misrepresents people and communities, and the harm that comes from these algorithmic practices – practices designed and implemented by humans. I underscore the role of search engines and other decision making systems of its ilk in contributing to oppression and racist marginalization. With artificial intelligence must come accountability.

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Break

3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Experiments in Digital Privacy Education

How can librarians effectively teach patrons about digital privacy? How does instruction about digital privacy fit within a scholarly communications program? In the fall 2017, the Vanderbilt University Library experimented with a three part series on digital privacy, covering the concepts of encrypting communications, browsing the web anonymously, and keeping operating systems secure. In his session, we will reflect on the success of the program, its limitations, and how we plan to refine our privacy outreach to students in the future.

4:00 - 4:30 p.m. Designing for Privacy

Developing rich and capable applications that respect user privacy requires special attention. We'll discuss technical privacy challenges in general and investigate one case in detail. Overall, the key to respecting privacy is prioritizing it as a requirement.

4:30 - 5:00 p.m. Roundtable Discussion

Moderated by Todd Carpenter, Executive Director, NISO