This research investigated the importance of user-library trust in ensuring vital freedom of inquiry in academic libraries, exploring its strength through comparison with attitudes towards the National Identity Card Scheme (NICS) within the various libraries of a large UK university. An online survey of students and interviews with librarians…

Gives a historical explanation of library confidentiality policies and procedures and reviews notable invasions of patron privacy through use of library records by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Also reports on a study that examined patron confidentiality policies in Texas academic library reference…

The American Library Association (ALA) expresses the basic principles of librarianship in its "Code of Ethics" and in the "Library Bill of Rights" and its interpretations. All library system and network policies, procedures or regulations relating to electronic resources and services should be scrutinized for potential…

This study of four public libraries in Northeastern Ohio was conducted to determine the amount, if any, of restriction of access of materials to minors. Four libraries were opportunistically selected, and the director and children's librarian in each were interviewed. The emerging hypothesis was that some restriction would occur. The written…