Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries

There is potential for library date due slips to contain personal information (e.g., names) that compromises patron privacy. A survey was conducted of fifty-five Canadian English language public library systems to determine what sort of information is being printed on date due slips. While it was di...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jean T Hung, Lynne E.F. McKechnie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Partnership 2014-11-01
Series:Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/3114
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author Jean T Hung
Lynne E.F. McKechnie
author_facet Jean T Hung
Lynne E.F. McKechnie
author_sort Jean T Hung
collection DOAJ
description There is potential for library date due slips to contain personal information (e.g., names) that compromises patron privacy. A survey was conducted of fifty-five Canadian English language public library systems to determine what sort of information is being printed on date due slips. While it was discovered that personal information was sometimes included, it was most often in the form of the borrower’s library card number, an almost anonymous identifier. The most commonly included information had to do with library services such as the name of the library, the titles of items borrowed, and the due date. Respondents cited patron privacy as the main reason for not including personal patron information. It appears that Canadian public libraries are aware of the importance of maintaining confidentiality in regard to library user records, at least in terms of the content of date due slips.
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spelling doaj.art-62590d907f0f4042bd888102ed4fd1262022-12-22T00:10:32ZengThe PartnershipPartnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research1911-95932014-11-019210.21083/partnership.v9i2.31141716Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public LibrariesJean T Hung0Lynne E.F. McKechnie1University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western OntarioThere is potential for library date due slips to contain personal information (e.g., names) that compromises patron privacy. A survey was conducted of fifty-five Canadian English language public library systems to determine what sort of information is being printed on date due slips. While it was discovered that personal information was sometimes included, it was most often in the form of the borrower’s library card number, an almost anonymous identifier. The most commonly included information had to do with library services such as the name of the library, the titles of items borrowed, and the due date. Respondents cited patron privacy as the main reason for not including personal patron information. It appears that Canadian public libraries are aware of the importance of maintaining confidentiality in regard to library user records, at least in terms of the content of date due slips.https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/3114public librariesprivacydate due slips
spellingShingle Jean T Hung
Lynne E.F. McKechnie
Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research
public libraries
privacy
date due slips
title Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
title_full Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
title_fullStr Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
title_full_unstemmed Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
title_short Giving the Slip: A Study of the Format and Content of Date Due Slips in Canadian Public Libraries
title_sort giving the slip a study of the format and content of date due slips in canadian public libraries
topic public libraries
privacy
date due slips
url https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/3114
work_keys_str_mv AT jeanthung givingtheslipastudyoftheformatandcontentofdatedueslipsincanadianpubliclibraries
AT lynneefmckechnie givingtheslipastudyoftheformatandcontentofdatedueslipsincanadianpubliclibraries