The General Data Protection Regulation and U.S. Public Libraries
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European-Union (EU) wide regulation that unifies European data privacy laws and also codifies the personal data protection rights of residents. It was enacted to provide European citizens with full control over the data that is collected and stored about them. Even if your organization is not in the EU, the regulation affects how you handle the personal data of EU citizens. At its core, GDPR mandates that organizations demonstrate that they are protecting the personal data of their customers. If you even have just one Europe-based customer, failure to comply could result in large fines. The regulations go into effect on Friday, May 25, 2018.
Here are some links for further reading:
- American Libraries Magazine, “The Future of Data Privacy – How Two New European Laws will Help U.S. Libraries.” George Eberhart, February 10, 2018.
- OIF Blog, “Looking at the Climate of Data Protection as GDPR Looms.” Jessica Garner, January 18, 2018.
- OCLC Blog, “GDPR: What Does It Mean for OCLC and Your Library?”
- San Jose (CA) Public Library Blog, “Why Is Everyone Updating Their Terms of Use and Privacy Policies?” Erin Berman, May 22, 2018
- ACRL TechConnect, “Introducing Our New Best Friend, GDPR.” Margaret Heller, May 24, 2018
- IFLA Briefing, “Impact of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018“
- Forbes, “Preparing for GDPR and All Its Unpredictability” by Brian NeSmith, April 12, 2018.
- GDPR Website
Is your library prepared for the GDPR regulations? Share questions and comments below.
Tags: data privacy laws, GDPR and U.S. Public Libraries, General Data Protection Regulation, personal data protection rights
