Comments on: Tiny Trackers: Protecting Privacy in an RFID World http://litablog.org/2005/06/30/tiny-trackers-protecting-privacy-in-an-rfid-world/ Library and Information Technology Association Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:40:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Jane Dewey http://litablog.org/2005/06/30/tiny-trackers-protecting-privacy-in-an-rfid-world/comment-page-1/#comment-29985 Jane Dewey Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:05:20 +0000 http://litablog.org/?p=88#comment-29985 I'm wondering what LITA thinks of Checkpoint Systems' (RFID company, currently implemented in the Berkeley Public Library, Jackie Griffin's former library) announcement to scale back its efforts in the library world and to focus more on the retail world. Look for these stories in RFID Journal, October 23 and 26, 2006. RFID incidentally, has been a complete failure at BPL, from security gates rarely working to the media donut tags breaking patrons' dvd and cd players. Now the public and the staff are stuck with it. RFID should not be tested and refined on the budgets of public libraries, the only parties that profit from this kind of relationship is the company that's making the technology because they don't have to maintain a lab or technicians to work out the flaws and oversights in a new technology. I’m wondering what LITA thinks of Checkpoint Systems’ (RFID company, currently implemented in the Berkeley Public Library, Jackie Griffin’s former library) announcement to scale back its efforts in the library world and to focus more on the retail world. Look for these stories in RFID Journal, October 23 and 26, 2006. RFID incidentally, has been a complete failure at BPL, from security gates rarely working to the media donut tags breaking patrons’ dvd and cd players. Now the public and the staff are stuck with it.
RFID should not be tested and refined on the budgets of public libraries, the only parties that profit from this kind of relationship is the company that’s making the technology because they don’t have to maintain a lab or technicians to work out the flaws and oversights in a new technology.

]]> By: Lori Ayre http://litablog.org/2005/06/30/tiny-trackers-protecting-privacy-in-an-rfid-world/comment-page-1/#comment-18085 Lori Ayre Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:05:38 +0000 http://litablog.org/?p=88#comment-18085 This sounds like a great program, its too bad it was scheduled to compete to TTT. However, I believe RFID should still be discussed by the TTT panel if only to tell library directors to wait for standards! Wait for interoperability! Wait for proof of ROI! Wait for newer, even more exciting applications of RFID. And of course, better security on the tags and readers and, of course, encryption. This sounds like a great program, its too bad it was scheduled to compete to TTT. However, I believe RFID should still be discussed by the TTT panel if only to tell library directors to wait for standards! Wait for interoperability! Wait for proof of ROI! Wait for newer, even more exciting applications of RFID. And of course, better security on the tags and readers and, of course, encryption.

]]> By: » Blog Archive » No RFIDs at SF Public LibraryLibrarianActivist.org http://litablog.org/2005/06/30/tiny-trackers-protecting-privacy-in-an-rfid-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1855 » Blog Archive » No RFIDs at SF Public LibraryLibrarianActivist.org Mon, 06 Feb 2006 18:56:37 +0000 http://litablog.org/?p=88#comment-1855 [...] The San Francisco Budget Committee axed funding for the implementation of RFIDs at the San Francisco Public Library. (Link to story). This reminded me of an interesting post on the LITA Blog on an RFID presentation at ALA. One of the speakers was Berkely Public Library director, Jackie Griffith. Griffith says that a bigger intellectual freedom issue is access to information. Many public schools in Berkeley lack media specialists and 30% of Berkleyans do not have a computer at home. If there is such a concern that library rfid tags may be used by the government to interfere with things people read then the real question is what the government is doing. Griffith says that RFID has allowed the Berkeley Public Library to reopen on Sundays and to return their book purchasing budget to near normal levels. I am not an expert on RFIDs, but I don’t really think it’s fair to pit one intellectual freedom issue with another, in order to sweep the “less pressing” issue under the rug. And I think it may also be short sighted to say that the use of technology has allowed the library to save money (and reopen on Sundays). The RFID implementation doesn’t deal with the underlying issue of library underfunding and thus has only postponed budget problems that are sure to reappear in the near future, as well as privacy issues, if RFIDs turn out to be not as safe as they ought to be. [...] [...] The San Francisco Budget Committee axed funding for the implementation of RFIDs at the San Francisco Public Library. (Link to story). This reminded me of an interesting post on the LITA Blog on an RFID presentation at ALA. One of the speakers was Berkely Public Library director, Jackie Griffith. Griffith says that a bigger intellectual freedom issue is access to information. Many public schools in Berkeley lack media specialists and 30% of Berkleyans do not have a computer at home. If there is such a concern that library rfid tags may be used by the government to interfere with things people read then the real question is what the government is doing. Griffith says that RFID has allowed the Berkeley Public Library to reopen on Sundays and to return their book purchasing budget to near normal levels. I am not an expert on RFIDs, but I don’t really think it’s fair to pit one intellectual freedom issue with another, in order to sweep the “less pressing” issue under the rug. And I think it may also be short sighted to say that the use of technology has allowed the library to save money (and reopen on Sundays). The RFID implementation doesn’t deal with the underlying issue of library underfunding and thus has only postponed budget problems that are sure to reappear in the near future, as well as privacy issues, if RFIDs turn out to be not as safe as they ought to be. [...]

]]> By: LITA Blog Team http://litablog.org/2005/06/30/tiny-trackers-protecting-privacy-in-an-rfid-world/comment-page-1/#comment-134 LITA Blog Team Thu, 30 Jun 2005 14:38:25 +0000 http://litablog.org/?p=88#comment-134 Yes, a program taking place during the Top Tech Trends is not going to have the same attendance as TTT. In fact I don't even think the panel mentioned RFID because it's so six months ago. ;-) Not that it isn't a great example of an emerging technology, and frankly coulda used a mention in terms of implementation. It sounds as if this was a terrific program, and we're grateful you wrote it up so well. Perhaps your entry will launch more discussion. Yes, a program taking place during the Top Tech Trends is not going to have the same attendance as TTT. In fact I don’t even think the panel mentioned RFID because it’s so six months ago. ;-) Not that it isn’t a great example of an emerging technology, and frankly coulda used a mention in terms of implementation.

It sounds as if this was a terrific program, and we’re grateful you wrote it up so well. Perhaps your entry will launch more discussion.

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