Case Study: A new flagship technology college was built in what had previously been a run-down part of an industrial city.  Regeneration of the docks area meant that this new college, which served the 14-19 year age group, had a mixed intake, from local deprived social housing estates with high levels of unemployment to the newly gentrified town houses alongside the canals.  The new library had been lavishly equipped with the latest library management system.  This new system offered ‘self issue’ whereby students could check-out books they wished to borrow by placing their thumb (a unique identifier) on a scanner which confirmed their identity and status as library users.  The data from the scanner is captured and transferred to the library management system.

The school librarian, who had used the system in Singapore, was very enthusiastic.  ‘We can now track every student down to which book they have, how long they have had it, and it allows my staff to spend more time processing new acquisitions rather than just issuing books.  I really don’t know what all the fuss is about’.  She was adamant that the saving in staff time and resources was more important than ‘an interfering parent governor’s concern for human rights’.

The editors comment...

The school appears to have acted hastily and without consultation in introducing this new system.  There are other self-issue systems on the market which do not involve the use of a thumbprint.  The parent who is concerned about the possible further use of the data collected by the library is right to be concerned as the college does not appear to have given thought to the wider implications of collecting this sensitive data.  It emerged that there were many students from minority ethnic groups in the college and there were widespread fears that collecting such sensitive data could heighten social and racial unrest in the area if the law enforcement agencies were to ask to use the data.

Created: v0.9 09-Jun-07 : SS

Revised: v1.0 13-Jun-07 : JG-T