ARLIS/NA 48th Annual Conference

As institutions that support communities for whom intellectual freedom and expression are paramount, art libraries face unique challenges in protecting their patrons’ privacy and confidentiality, both of which are “essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association.”¹ These ethical responsibilities have long been an integral part of the intellectual mission of libraries, but as political uncertainty threatens already vulnerable communities, art library users increasingly engage in their own forms of activism, and pressure grows on librarians to demonstrate value through assessment tools that invade patron privacy, there is an increasing urgency for art librarians to enhance and reimagine their outreach to cover the tools and strategies necessary for patrons to take control of their digital lives.

The ARLIS/NA Advocacy & Public Policy Committee presents a workshop that expands upon the Privacy section of our monthly news alerts and enacts ARLIS/NA’s growing commitment to advocacy. Led by a prominent privacy activist with extensive experience leading educational programs for librarians, attendees to the workshop will have the opportunity to discuss what are the threats to privacy in art libraries today, learn about the available technical tools and best practices, and consider how ARLIS/NA members could contribute to broader movements to enact privacy protection at the policy level. Possible topics will respond to current events at the time of the conference and might include: facial recognition, data leaks, use of social media, and the disproportionate impact of surveillance technology on vulnerable populations that use art libraries (such as activists, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color).

1. “Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” American Library Association, July 7, 2006.

Presented by the ARLIS/NA Advocacy & Public Policy Committee.

Fee: $50