[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Reading History opt in on patron application

Thu Oct 19 11:15:47 EDT 2017

For those Evergreen sites that are using the "New User Created Welcome 
Notice" action trigger, you could also add something to the template 
telling users how to enable the checkout history. Since they will be on 
a device or at a computer when they read the e-mail, they could just 
then follow the link to their account to immediately enable it.

Kathy

On 10/19/2017 10:53 AM, Geoff Sams wrote:
>
> We’ve created a document that stays in stock at the front desk that 
> our staff are trained to hand out that details how to enable checkout 
> history.  This allows those that want to use the feature the option to 
> do so without much trouble.
>
> Those that are less able will always get help enabling the feature.
>
> We try to let people know up front about that option, it doesn’t 
> always happen but we do try.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Geoff Sams
>
> Library Manager
>
> Roanoke Public Library
>
> 817-491-2691
>
> *From:*Open-ils-general 
> [mailto:open-ils-general-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org] *On Behalf 
> Of *Elaine Hardy
> *Sent:* Thursday, October 19, 2017 7:54 AM
> *To:* Evergreen Discussion Group 
> <open-ils-general at list.georgialibraries.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Reading History opt in on patron 
> application
>
> 
>
> 
>
> From ALA's statement on privacy:
>
> "In all areas of librarianship, best practice leaves the user in 
> control of as many choices as possible. These include decisions about 
> the selection of, access to, and use of information. Lack of privacy 
> and confidentiality has a chilling effect on users’ choices. All users 
> have a right to be free from any unreasonable intrusion into or 
> surveillance of their lawful library use." 
> http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/privacy
>
> There may also be local and state laws that govern how a patron opts 
> out of something that effects their privacy.
>
> Rather than creating a potential avenue that would compromise patron 
> confidentiality, I think it more appropriate to train front line staff 
> to inform patrons of this functionality and give them instructions on 
> how to utilize it. If the patron then needs further assistance, it can 
> be given.
>
>
> J. Elaine Hardy
>
> PINES & Collaborative Projects Manager
>
> Georgia Public Library Service/PINES
>
> 1800 Century Place, Ste. 150
>
> Atlanta, GA 30045
>
> 404.235.7128 Office
>
> 404.548.4241 Cell
>
> 404.235.7201 FAX
>
> On Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 6:05 PM, Rogan Hamby 
> <rhamby at equinoxinitiative.org <mailto:rhamby at equinoxinitiative.org>> 
> wrote:
>
>     There's a lot to think about here. I do like the idea of the
>     setting being on the patron registration page so that staff can
>     turn it on and off for patrons as an assistance.  Actually, I
>     think we should have had that for a long time now.  If you're
>     doing this as a local hack how you do it is certainly up to you
>     but if it's an actual change to Evergreen code the idea of tying
>     it to a nightly cron job unnecessary.  There is a question about
>     if older circs should get fed in but that might be tangential here
>     and more about how the reading history works.
>
>     I'm not fond of giving staff access to the history though.  Staff
>     trusted with reporter permissions can do that anyway, to the
>     extent that you haven't aged out circulations anyway.  It feels
>     like an unnecessary threshold to cross or at least one that we
>     shouldn't cross, on principle.  It does mean that patrons that
>     want staff to see their reading history have to go to the step of
>     giving it in some form to the staff but I feel like that's an
>     acceptable price to pay for privacy.  But I know that some
>     communities will probably see me as paranoid in that regard.
>
>     If it was implemented I feel library options, patron toggling,
>     protection for patron toggles, etc... would be needed.  It would
>     be it's own viper nest of issues to sort through.
>
>
>     Rogan Hamby
>
>     Data and Project Analyst
>
>     Equinox Open Library Initiative
>
>     phone:  1-877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
>
>     email: rogan at EquinoxInitiative.org
>     <mailto:rogan at EquinoxInitiative.org>
>
>     web: http://EquinoxInitiative.org
>
>     On Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 2:44 PM, Josh Stompro
>     <stomproj at exchange.larl.org <mailto:stomproj at exchange.larl.org>>
>     wrote:
>
>         Hello, we are running into the fact that many of our patrons
>         that want to make use of a reading history, don’t find out
>         about it until long after they sign up for an account. Many of
>         these patrons are also non computer/online catalog users, so
>         there is no chance that they would ever find the option to
>         enable it themselves, and even if they knew about it, they
>         wouldn’t be able to set it themselves. So they find out about
>         it after talking with staff, and then get mad when they find
>         out that it will only have their history starting at the point
>         they sign up.  Since they don’t use computers, they need staff
>         to walk them through (do it for them) logging into their
>         account and finding the option, so it would be handy if staff
>         could just do it for them.
>
>         We could set the library setting to default the checkout
>         history to being enabled, but we really don’t want to make
>         that decision for everyone, and then put the onus on them to
>         figure out how to use the catalog to turn it off.
>
>         So we are considering adding an opt in checkbox to the patron
>         application, along with a user setting that staff can check,
>         to allow staff to enable the circ history at patron
>         registration time.  The user setting being checked or
>         unchecked would trigger a nightly process that would
>         enable/disable the reading history for that account.
>
>         In theory, this could result in a customer saying that they
>         never signed up for the feature, saying that staff did it on
>         their own.  But since it is already trivially easy for staff
>         to log into the catalog as a customer, it seems like that
>         would already be a problem. (staff know what the default pin
>         numbers are based on, or could just change the pin, a customer
>         that never uses the catalog would never know that the pin was
>         changed)
>
>         Has anyone else done this or something like this? Is this a
>         horrible idea?
>
>         I think staff would also like to be able to access the patrons
>         history from their staff stations, which would make readers
>         advisory easier.  “Which Louis L’Amour titles haven’t I read yet”.
>
>         We have had problems in the past with patrons physically
>         marking books that they have read before, to make it easier
>         for them to find the ones they haven’t read.
>
>         Josh
>
>         Lake Agassiz Regional Library - Moorhead MN larl.org
>         <http://larl.org>
>
>         Josh Stompro     | Office 218.233.3757 EXT-139
>         <tel:%28218%29%20233-3757>
>
>         LARL IT Director | Cell 218.790.2110 <tel:%28218%29%20790-2110>
>

-- 
Kathy Lussier
Project Coordinator
Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative
(508) 343-0128
klussier at masslnc.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier

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