Right to privacy and protection of personal data in libraries: perspectives and documents

Abstract

Privacy as a legal concept is an unavoidable part of a modern democratic society and is recognized as one of the fundamental human rights of every citizen. The right to privacy and the protection of personal data are guaranteed by international human rights documents. In librarianship, the right to privacy and protection of personal data is also guaranteed in the documents of international library associations, which clearly emphasize that librarians are obliged in their work to protect the privacy and personal data of their users. Privacy and personal data are increasingly difficult to protect today, as access to data is simpler and easier due to the use of different and new information technologies, electronic communication, social networks, electronic databases, etc. Personal rights are guaranteed by international documents on protection of personal data and protected by national personal data protection laws. The main objectives of the paper are: to problematize the definition of the concept of privacy from several perspectives; problematize the importance of the right to privacy and protection of personal data in the context of the library profession; provide an overview of significant international documents in the field of human rights which also guarantee the right to privacy and protection of personal data; make a review of important international documents guaranteeing the right to protection and confidentiality of personal data; and finally, the paper will provide an overview of documents of international library associations that in their texts indicate the importance of privacy and protection of personal data in the library business.