PII and Other Risky Data

Overview

Teaching: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min

Questions

• What data could pose a risk to our patrons’ privacy?

• Where might risky data be found?

• What are some things we can do to limit these risks?

Objectives

• Define PII

• Distinguish between the two types of PII

• List examples of PII that might be found in library data

• Explain how data becomes riskier when combined

• Offer some strategies that might limit these risks, while still providing valuable insights

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Key Points

• Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is of two types.

• In a library context, PII 1 is information about a patron. (E.g. name, date of birth, library barcode, etc.)

• PII 2 is information about your activities and other information that can be linked back to a patron. (E.g. search history, circulation records, access to electronic resources, etc.)

• By making connections within a pool of data, it is possible to identify specific patrons and their activities

• Limiting the data we collect and how long we keep it around can help mitigate these risks