"Terror Reading"

[Harmon Seaver]

  As a sysadmin in various libraries, I can attest to the fact that most library
software is set to drop the record of what anyone has checked out as soon as the
book returns. I know that most librarians are extremely opposed to the whole
concept of anyone knowing what other people are reading, know also of one case
of a library clerk being fired when it was discovered that they were spying on
the reading habits of other librarians. And when the FBI tried back in the 50's
and 60's to access library records they were almost universally stonewalled. 
   While I realize it would be possible to reset the software to keep the
records longer, if it were indeed happening, everyone working in that library
would be aware of it, and people would be talking. I don't know of any way it
would be possible to make the software keep track of just one person, it would
have to keep the records for everyone. Of course, someone could keep track
manually, but I'd be willing to bet that if this were happening at all, the ALS
would know about it and would be filing suit against the DOJ. 


On Tue, Jun 25, 2002 at 02:23:08PM -0700, Joseph Ashwood wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eric Cordian" <emc at artifact.psychedelic.net>
> 
> > It was my understanding that libraries destroy records of patrons'
> > activity as soon as the books are returned.  Nonetheless, this is an
> > interesting Federal fishing expedition, with warrants issued by secret
> > courts, and criminal penalties for librarians who talk too much.
> 
> I can tell you that at least in some areas that is simply not the case. I
> have personal experience with the San Jose City library and know this for a
> fact to be incorrect. They store information since the last upgrade of the
> central database, currently the better part of a decade, but coming up on a
> cycle point. Although it is very difficult to get the information, and large
> portions of even that have been lost through various issues.
> 
> That is just a single area, but it seems reasonable that most
> cities/counties/schools would follow the same general principle. Of course
> with the lax way the information is kept it takes nearly a week to recover
> the list of books you've checked out in the last month that have been
> returned (unless there are penalties), so there is some saving grace to the
> system.
>                     Joe

-- 
Harmon Seaver	
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com