Privacy vs Convenience in the Library
As libraries come under more and more budget pressure, some are beginning to experiment with new procedures that are designed to reduce staff time but which may have unintended consequences. One such new process is putting books that are on hold in a public area so that patrons can pick them up rather than asking a staff person at a desk to go and find them. Efficient and convenient? Yes? Troubling from a privacy perspective? Probably. Here is an interesting discussion about such a program at the Chicago Public Library: http://infinitemonkeys.tumblr.com/post/450789162/self-service-hold-systems-and-patron-privacy.
