For immediate release | April 10, 2012

Get ready for Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7

CHICAGO — With Choose Privacy Week (May 1 – 7) right around the corner, the American Library Association (ALA) is offering online resources for libraries who are interested in holding Choose Privacy programs of their own.

Sponsored by the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), Choose Privacy Week is an annual initiative inviting library users of all ages and backgrounds into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age.

The campaign gives libraries tools to educate and engage users and offers individuals the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy. This year, ALA encourages libraries to develop programs and resources that help their users better understand how government agencies and corporations are monitoring and tracking their activities, as well as collecting, storing and using that information. The theme for this year's Choose Privacy Week is "Freedom from Surveillance."

Many of these resources are available online at www.PrivacyRevolution.org, including:

  • Privacy Video: The Choose Privacy Week 2010 video featuring author Neil Gaiman and Constitutional scholar Geoffrey Stone explores the meaning and importance of privacy in a digital age. We encourage libraries to host events featuring this video, which is available either as a Web streaming video or a low-cost DVD, during Choose Privacy Week and to link or embed it on library websites or social networking sites.

  • Video Study Guide: A supplemental study guide for the video is available to help promote learning and discussion.

  • Civic Engagement Materials: Tools for libraries to moderate community discussions on privacy. This page includes free downloadable PDF guides for hosting a community forum.

  • One-page Privacy Handout: Sample handout for communicating library privacy policies to users.

  • Word Search: Free downloadable PDF word search, focusing on “Computers and Privacy.”

  • Web Banners and Graphics: Add Web badges and banners to your library’s website.

To learn more about Choose Privacy Week and the resources available to help libraries engage their users in a conversation on privacy, please visit www.privacyrevolution.org, or contact Jennifer Petersen, ALA PR coordinator at (312) 280-5043 or jpetersen@ala.org.

Contact:

Jennifer Petersen