A fisheye security camera shown in front of a blurred U.S. flag

Protecting health privacy in the age of digital surveillance

With the Supreme Court apparently set to overturn Roe v. Wade, patrons may turn to libraries for help seeking information about reproductive health options in private. The ethics of our profession mandate that we do so. We can help patrons by teaching them how to protect their digital privacy on their own devices and ensuring our public computers employ the strongest, most up-to-date protections.

"Jane Against the World" book cover

‘The Right of a Woman to Her Own Person:’ Interview with ‘Jane Against the World’ Author Karen Blumenthal

Abortion rights is a topic that some teachers may choose to avoid or be prohibited from teaching. Karen Blumenthal’s latest book, “Jane Against the World,” provides students with a well-researched and nuanced history of reproductive rights in America, connecting to larger issues of poverty, racism, and gender and workplace discrimination. Learn more about the censorship she experienced while researching Texas state documents as well as experiences with censorship related to her books.

Carpenter v. United States: A Battle for Privacy Rights

As part of a 2011 robbery investigation, law enforcement obtained location data from Timothy Carpenter without a warrant. After his subsequent arrest, Carpenter appealed the decision as a breach of his Fourth Amendment rights, and the case has been heard by the Supreme Court. As technologies like cell phones collect increasing loads of data about us, and as that data paints a more detailed picture of our everyday lives, have privacy laws become outdated?