Library Elf

["Bridge, Frank" <BridgeF at chesterfield dot gov>]

Library Elf--regardless of the motives of the Web site in question: 

1.  There is little we can do with regard to stopping customer use of
this site, and it does provide a desirable customer service.  

2.  A customer is taking a risk when providing all library-related
personal information and PIN to a third party; that risk and its
consequences fall squarely on the customer.

3.  I therefore recommend a disclaimer in one's Web OPAC and in the
Library's policy manual that encompasses the concepts embodied Items 1
and 2 immediately above.  

In an analogous example, would you find it wise to provide to a third
party--for whatever value-added service they might provide--the names,
account numbers, and PINS to your bank and/or credit card accounts?
You'd be in a difficult position to blame your financial institutions
for any misuse of that data (or theft of your money), when you provided
to a third party such open access to your accounts.  

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 20:42:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Elizabeth Thomsen <et at noblenet dot org>
Subject: Library Elf
To: innopac at innopacusers dot org
Message-ID:
	<Pine dot LNX dot 4 dot 44 dot 0508242015210 dot 8682-100000 at mail dot noblenet dot org>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

I would be interested in hearing what you think about Library Elf,
http://www.libraryelf.com.  If you haven't seen this, it's a free
service that helps users manage their library accounts: checked out
items, overdues and holds.  You set up an account on this system,
provide an e-mail address, library ID and Pin, choose your library from
a rapidly-growing list, and make a few option choices.  Once you've done
this, Library Elf logs into your account and sends you rather nicely
formatted HTML-based e-mail notices.

The user has much more control over notices here than they do on our
real system.  They aren't limited to the library's notice schedule.  For
example, we're not currently providing courtesy notices, but users can
get them through this system.  Users also have options for overdue
notices, including the option to have one sent every day as long as an
item is overdue.  There are also RSS and text-message options.

This service is free to users, and as for configuration on the library 
end, there isn't any.  They say all the right things about privacy, 
including the fact that they're in Canada and therefore not subject to
the 
US Patriot Act.  

It seems strange to me to have users bypass our notice options and
setting 
up their own, and I can see possible confusion for users between what 
they're seeing through Library Elf and directly.  But I can see why
users 
would want to use this-- it really works pretty nicely.  And I don't
think 
we have any choice.  If your library appears on this list, your users
can 
find and use this service even if you don't know about it.

I know that some libraries are promoting this to users-- any comments?  
Anyone run into problems with this?  Anyone attempting to monitor or
block 
this?  

Anyone wonder what other sorts of alternative interfaces and services
might be around or coming along from totally outside our ILS systems?

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et at noblenet dot org


---
Frank R. Bridge
Technology Management Administrator
Chesterfield County Public Library
PO Box 297
9501 Lori Rd.
Chesterfield, VA  23832-0297
Voice:   804-748-1980
Fax:      804-751-4679