Gear up for "Choose Privacy Week"

Privacy is a particularly slippery and amorphous issue, about which people hold a wide variety of opinions and beliefs. By sparking a national conversation on privacy, Choose Privacy Week (May 2-8, 2010) will give people with different perspectives an opportunity to learn more about the issues, weigh in on choices with their fellow citizens, and consider options for action.

The ALA Membership Initiative Group, Libraries Fostering Civic Engagement is promoting public deliberation on the topic, "Who Do I Trust My Privacy To?" Using a discussion guide written by members, Nancy Kranich and Carolyn Caywood, participants will examine approaches to protecting privacy that relies on three possible strategies for protecting privacy. (Download discussion guide and other supporting materials here!)

The three options that participants will deliberate are:

Approach 1: The Marketplace

The marketplace is the source of innovation in security and privacy protection technology and it also has a vested interest in privacy that secures the integrity of financial data.

Approach 2: The Goverment

The government has a responsibility to provide for public safety which includes identity protection and to secure the rights necessary to a free society.

Approach 3: Myself

I, my self, recognize that privacy values are individual and varied and that no one cares more about my needs than me.

The Libraries Fostering Civic Engagement MIG is offering two free online workshops to help librarians convene forums, and to moderate community discussions on privacy in conjunction with Privacy Week, May 2-8, 2010.

Tips on Hosting a Deliberative Forum on Privacy

March 30, 2010
1:00 - 3:00 Central Time



This workshop will cover:

• the logistics for convening your forum,
• strategies you can use to build partnerships,
• ideas for marketing your forum,
• how to use your forum to meet the information needs of your patrons, and
• free and low-cost tools you can use to host a forum in your library

How to Moderate a Deliberative Forum on Privacy

April 13, 2010
1:00 - 3:00 Central Time



This workshop will cover:

• guidelines for participants in a deliberative dialogue,
• strategies to encourage participants to weigh the costs and consequences of different approaches to managing privacy,
• the art of crafting powerful and thoughtful questions,
• tips for dealing with people who talk too much or people who don't speak up
• how to make your community conversation part of a national dialogue

If you have questions or comments, please leave them here in the comments section.