This month, the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee approved a new document, “Library Privacy Guidelines for Students in K-12 Schools.” The document, which surveys the state of students’ privacy in K-12 schools, provides guidance for school libraries and educational institutions seeking to protect students’ privacy, both while online and while reading or engaging in research.
“School librarians not only defend student privacy, they also work to educate students, parents, teachers, and school administrators about the tenets of privacy,” said ALA President Sari Feldman. “These guidelines will provide the crucial guidance and information they need as leaders and advocates for students’ privacy in a time when new technologies are enabling greater collection and use of student data.”
The guidelines are now available online on the ALA website. Questions and comments may be directed to Deborah Caldwell-Stone in the Office for Intellectual Freedom at dstone@ala.org