Re: Requesting User Information and Policy Agreement Prior to Data Exports

[Phil Davis <pmd8@cornell.edu>]

Dear Patrick,

Personally, I would never agree to signing a license that required users
to disclose the kind of personal information you posted below.  A number
of life sciences librarians refused to license a proteome database last
year for similar reasons. The ALA Code of Ethics seems pretty
straight-forward:

III. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality
with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted,
borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

VI. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users,
colleagues, or our employing institutions.

The library can never sign away the individual rights of the patrons
(whether they care about their rights is of no issue).

--Phil Davis
Life Sciences Bibliographer, Cornell University