Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World

An advanced copy of OCLC's latest membership report, Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World, dropped heavily on my desk a while back (in recognition of the fact that I was one of the people interviewed during its preparation).  I'm not 100% it was technically an advanced copy by the time it had traveled across the Atlantic but anyway...

This OCLC membership report explores this web of social participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the library’s role, including:

• The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
• How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
• Opinions on privacy online
• Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking.

As with previous OCLC membership reports, there is a lot of very useful material here, not just the results of surveying over 6000 people, but the contextual information and opinion that goes with it.  It's a weighty document and will take a while to assimilate.  Note that the Web version comes in separate sections (PDF files) which may help if you want to read it on a plane or you suffer from a bad back! :-)

Comments

[Brian Kelly]

Hi Andy
Snap - I blogged about this report earlier today - see http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/oclc-report-on-sharing-privacy-and-trust-in-our-networked-world/
As you say, there's a lot of material to assimilate. I've given my inital views on my blog.

Brian Kelly, UKOLN