35 1 55 – 69 55

RFIDLibrarians’ and Users’ Attitudes Toward User Privacy and the Application of RFID in Academic Libraries

Shiao-Feng Su Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Library and Information Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Email: sfsu@dragon.nchu.edu.tw

Keywords RFID User PrivacyLibrarian’s Attitudes User Attitudes

Library Public Services AcademicLibraries

RFID (1) RFID

RFID (2)(3)

(4)

RFID

RFIDRFID

RFID-based

Abstract

Through face to face interviews and a questionnaire survey, the study explores librarians’ and users’ perception of and perspectives on RFID applications and user privacy in academic libraries. The research was directed by the following questions: (1) what are the user’s attitudes towards RFID and RFID applications in academic libraries;

56 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

(2) what personal information and library records are perceived as privacy by the user; (3) how and to what extent would users expect the library to protect their privacy from being invaded by unauthorized RFID readers; and (4) what are the differences in attitudes toward library user privacy between the librarian and user.

The study results show that academic librarians understand that data in an RFID tag on books and ID cards could be subject to involuntary interception, which could lead to the invasion of user privacy. They store minimal data in the tag to protect their users. In contrast, the majority of students are unaware of RFID and its security issues. Students value their information privacy. They request that social security number, residential address, financial data, and telephone number be excluded from the RFID tags on books and ID cards. They also expect that the library provides more detailed information about its privacy policy and protection strategies. The librarian’s awareness of the study results may help academic libraries mitigate the risk of user’s doubt about possible privacy invasion and maintain good library-patron relationship.

RFID, Radio Frequency Identification

frequency spectrum

RFID

feet

RFID

hybrid

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

Butters, 2007

RFID

RFID

RFID

Muir, 2007

RFID Adams, et al, 2005

RFID-based

2005 RFID

O’Connor, 2005

RFID

2004 RFID

Swedberg, 2004

RFID Muir, 2007

Roberti 2003

RFID

RFID Butters 2007

RFID

35 1 55 – 69 57

RFID Butters,

2007

RFID

30

Balas 2005

1

2

3

RFID

RFID

RFID

95 IC

97

RFID

RFID

RFID 97

RFID

RFID

RFID

(1) RFID

RFID (2)

(3)

(4)

RFID-based

RFID

RFID

RFID

97 8

RFID

25

9 10

58 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

353

50

RFID

25

A B C D

AL BL CL DL1 DL2 EL

AS11 AS15 BS11 BS15

ES11 ES15

AS11

A

RFID

RFID /

RFID RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

B

RFID

RFID

RFID C

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

A B E

C

D RFID

BL DL1

DL2

DL2

RFID A B E

RFID

35 1 55 – 69 59

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

40 50

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

EL

CL

RFID

E

RFID

RFID

RFID

CL

RFID

EL

RFID

RFID

RFID RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

ISBN

60 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

RFID

AS15

RFID

RFID

BS11

RFID

RFID

RFID

ES12 RFID

CR14

RFID

RFID

RFID DS13 RFID

BS14 RFID

RFID

RFID

AR4 RFID

RFID

RFID

35 1 55 – 69 61

RFID

RFID

97 10 11 RFID

353

52.69%

47.31% 1

2

36.83%

34.84%

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

60.91% 39.09%

RFID

RFID 56.94%

RFID 35.98%

7.08%

RFID

56.1%

RFID 32.9%

11.0% RFID

3

RFID

45.04%

RFID

300 84.9%

RFID 46.74%

RFID

Spearman's rho RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

.343, .320 .372, p<.01

RFID

RFID RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

1

ANOVA

62 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

1

73.37% 3.12%

19.26% 0.28%

1.13% 2.83%

100.00%

2

0 1.13% 1-2 34.84%

3-4 36.83% 5-7 25.21%

1.98% 100.00%

3 RFID RFID

RFID N/A 39.09% 60.91% RFID 56.94% 35.98% 7.08%

RFID 56.2% 32.9% 11.0% RFID 45.04% 8.22% 46.74%

F=41.215, p<.01

RFID

e-mail

2

35 1 55 – 69 63

64 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

12

RFID RFID

paired t

p<0.1

4 *

% % %

94.05 71.39 46.74

93.20 67.42 45.04

91.22 64.31 38.81

84.14 60.34 35.69

79.60 58.07 33.99

79.04 49.29 21.81

77.90 47.88 16.43

74.22 47.03 12.75

*

35 1 55 – 69 65

5

p<.01 p<.01

78.47%

46.18%

32.29% 1.98%

49.29%

19.26%

63.64%

46.59% 17.05%

77.62% RFID

RFID

48.01%

35.23%

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

66.01% RFID

5.10%

6

RFID

F

12.025, p<.01 RFID

F 2.614, p<.05 RFID

RFID

F 7.771, p<.01

RFID

RFID

66 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

6 RFID

RFID 3.22 .833 3.84 .738 3.52 1.137

4.09 .777 2.65 .933

RFID 3.79 .819

7 RFID

RFID 4.13 .673 RFID 4.14 .691

2.63 1.018 RFID 3.56 .890

3.80 .970 RFID 3.93 .810

RFID

7

84.14% RFID

54.96%

29.18% 0.57%

85.27%

RFID

55.24%

30.03% 1.13%

74.43%

RFID

5.11%

49.43%

30.11%

20.46% 60.05%

RFID

12.46%

64.31%

10.20%

t

8.594, p<.01

RFID

F 6.25, F 10.978, F 4.164, p<.01

F 2.226, p<.01

F 2.614, p<.05

70.45% RFID

RFID

35 1 55 – 69 67

RFID

RFID 57.74%

23.85%

RFID

RFID r

-.176, p<.01 29.55%

42.86%

26.67% 3.81%

AS21 BS21 GS21

2

AS21 A

FS21

42

FS24

CS28 RFID

DS27

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

AS22

FS24

BS27 CS25 FS26

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

GS24

AS21 RFID

FS24

AS25

BS26

68 Journal of Library and Information Science 35 1 55 –69 April, 2009

FS26

FS24

AS26

38

FS23

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

RFID

/

RFID

RFID

35 1 55 – 69 69

Adams, H. R., et al. (2005). Privacy in the 21st Century:

Issues for Public, School, and Academic Libraries,

Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.

Balas, J. L. (2005). Should there be an expectation of

privacy in the library? Computers in Libraries, 25(6),

33.

Butters, A. (2007). RFID systems, standards, and

privacy within libraries. The Electronic Library

25(4): 430-439.

Federal Trade Commission. (2005). Radio Frequency

Identification: Applications and Implications for

Consumers. Retrieved from the World Wide Web:

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2005/03/050308rfidrpt.pdf

Molnar, D. & Wagner, D. (2004). Privacy and security

in library RFID: Issues, practices, and architectures.

ACM Workshop on Visualization and Data Mining

for Computer Security (Washington, D.C.), October

25–29, pp. 210–219 (Association of Computing

Machinery, 2004).

Muir, S. (2007). RFID security concerns. Library Hi

Tech. 25(1), 95-107.

O’Connor, M. C. (2005). San Francisco Library denied

funds for RFID. RFID Journal. Retrieved from the

World Wide Web: http://www.rfidjournal.com/

article/articleview/1708/1/1/

Roberti, M. (2003). The perception question. RFID

Journal. Retrieved from the World Wide Web:

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articeview/434/1/2 Swedberg, D. (2004). California RFID legislation

rejected. RFID Journal. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1015/1/1

2006 IC

32 317-333

2008 RFID

14 (4) 162-173