You are here

RFID technology promises to change our world. It has the capability of making our personal lives and our work lives in the library more convenient. However, every new technology comes at a cost. In order to remediate those costs, efforts must be undertaken to guide its development and implementation.
Libraries should not yet implement RFID systems. Instead, libraries should be among the entities putting pressure on government and industry bodies to develop standards, public policy and best practices guidelines for its use.
Libraries should continue to protect privacy by ensuring that they are not seen as proponents of RFID before it can be safely deployed.
Libraries should work to ensure that RFID products are manufactured and used according to well-established privacy principles.
Libraries should refuse to implement potentially unsafe RFID solutions simply because they are convenient.
Finally, libraries must be outspoken in their public education efforts related to RFID. Not only because libraries are one of many industries who can benefit from the safe implementation of RFID systems, but also because RFID represents the start of a slippery slope to ever greater loss of control over our personal information.
For a copy of my Position Paper on RFID and Libraries, visit this page.

Blog Categories: