Anonymity

Formally launched in 2014, ALA's Center for the Future of Libraries works to identify emerging trends relevant to libraries and the communities they serve, promote futuring and innovation techniques to help librarians and library professionals shape their future, and build connections with experts and innovative thinkers to help libraries address emerging issues. The first volume in a new series presented in partnership with the Center, Anonymity explores the roles and ramifications of this hallmark of technology. In the virtual realm, anonymity means that such bedrock values of librarianship as privacy, free speech, and intellectual freedom coexist uneasily with the proliferation of fake news, sexist and racist sentiments, and repugnant ideologies. As trusted guardians of knowledge, libraries and librarians can fill a growing need for reputable information and open dialog. Macrina, founder and director of the Library Freedom Project and a core contributor to the Tor Project, along with co-author Cooper, whose important advocacy in archives informs this work, discuss apps (Whisper, Secret) and forums (Reddit) that promote anonymity as a central feature, even as so-called true anonymity remains elusive because of pervasive user data tracking. They also examine how anonymous content has become valuable fodder for both news organizations and clickbait websites. Will the rise of anonymity and the vulnerabilities it exposes, especially for governments and businesses, lead to a movement against it? Or have our society and its technology passed the point of no return? Bringing issues and viewpoints from outside the profession into the conversation, this book will encourage libraries to think about anonymity and what it means for the future of our institutions. "Through "Understanding Anonymity, " Alison and Talya help readers understand anonymity in our users' broader lives by providing an immersive vision for how anonymity plays out today and how it might continue to shift for the future. Their insight for how anonymity connects with library values centers the discussion in terms of both privacy and equity, recognizing that different users have varying needs for anonymity at distinct points in their lives. From practical policies and procedures to technological interventions and educational instruction, "Anonymity in Libraries" shows how libraries can model anonymity's benefits and liabilities in a changing society. The Tor Project, 4 the LibraryBox Project, 5 and other initiatives show the promising directions that help ensure privacy while centering anonymity. In "For the Future, " Alison and Talya imagine new opportunities for libraries to advocate by standing up when policies or practices threaten individual rights to privacy and anonymity, educate by raising community awareness of the changing natures of privacy and anonymity, and implement spaces and technologies that make accommodations for anonymity while preserving security for staff and users alike."--Résumé de l'éditeur "Through 'Understanding Anonymity,' Alison and Talya help readers understand anonymity in our users' broader lives by providing an immersive vision for how anonymity plays out today and how it might continue to shift for the future. Their insight for how anonymity connects with library values centers the discussion in terms of both privacy and equity, recognizing that different users have varying needs for anonymity at distinct points in their lives. From practical policies and procedures to technological interventions and educational instruction, 'Anonymity in Libraries' shows how libraries can model anonymity's benefits and liabilities in a changing society. The Tor Project, the LibraryBox Project, and other initiatives show the promising directions that help ensure privacy while centering anonymity. In 'For the Future,' Alison and Talya imagine new opportunities for libraries to advocate by standing up when policies or practices threaten individual rights to privacy and anonymity, educate by raising community awareness of the changing natures of privacy and anonymity, and implement spaces and technologies that make accommodations for anonymity while preserving security for staff and users alike."-- Provided by publisher