41 Association of Research Libraries Research Library Issues 297 — 2019 fear that someone might see what they read and use this as a way to intimidate them….Without such protection there would be a chilling effect on our library users as inquiring minds turn away from exploring varied avenues of thought because they fear the potentiality of others knowing their reading history.4 By affirming that privacy is an essential value of American libraries, the New York State legislature provided the means and authority for libraries to truly protect the personal information of their patrons. New Technology and Privacy Innovations in technology have created—and continue to create—new privacy challenges for public libraries. The amount of personal data that can conceivably be collected today, compared to even a decade ago, is monumental. For example, by employing commercially available marketing tools, libraries can now track how patrons are engaging with a library’s website and the websites of others. This information could potentially be used to target ads and announcements toward specific users to inform them of programs or events that are likely to be of interest. The question is whether libraries should make use of such technologies simply because they are legally available and because they are used in the larger world of marketing and commerce. Current Projects Given the ease with which such information can be collected, libraries are on the forefront of creating privacy-related training and procedures to help safeguard personal information. ALA’s Privacy Subcommittee and ALA’s Library Information Technology Association (LITA) both hold regular forums and presentations on privacy at ALA’s Annual Conference and through webinars and other programs throughout the year. State and regional library associations, graduate school library Innovations in technology have created—and continue to create—new privacy challenges for public libraries.