Re: FBI's reading list worries librarians

[David Goodman <dgoodman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

I suspect that there are people around who could resurrect the eradicated
information after the book is returned.  But I was serious when I
suggested the possibility that we consider not recording the information
at all, and accepting the losses. I think we could design arrangements so
the losses would be not much greater than at present. (would they even,
perhaps, be less than the circ part of the system costs?) I have worked in
two libraries where the circulation system didn't actually work, and the
staff merely pretended it did (one manual, one punched card based). I
don't think we really need do this now, but if things get worse...

David Goodman
__

On Thu, 19 Dec 2002
martin@skmassociates.net wrote:

> While it may not be written policy per se, I think that if you looked at
> the RFPs that large numbers of libraries issue prior to purchasing an
> integrated library system, you would find that these libraries require the
> ability to link a book and a user while the user has that book in
> circulation, but that the RFP specifically states that the identification
> of the user is eradicated upon return of the book.  At most, statistical
> information is retained (was it a student or a faculty member, a graduate
> or undergraduate, a friend of the library?) but nothing that could allow
> the library to tell the FBI or any other agency that a specific person has
> borrowed a specific item.
>
> Sue Martin
> Susan K. Martin, Ph.D.
> President, SKM Associates, Inc.
> 10 Colonial Farm Circle
> Marstons Mills, MA  02648
> o: 508-420-0224
> f: 508-420-1588