Civic Switchboard Guide
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Advocating for ethical, responsible, and accessible civic data
What's the need?
- Civic data that is created through public funding should be well-known and easily accessible by the public. Realizing this often requires additional effort from data intermediaries.
- People appear in public datasets when they perform common activities such as obtaining a license, or making a 311 report. The public should be aware of how their activity is recorded and publicly distributed.
- The public interest in open data must be balanced with the protection of privacy
Why the library?
- Libraries democratize access to information. This can and should apply to data too.
- Libraries protect patron privacy to support broad accessibility to information and freedom of inquiry.
What you can do:
- Review how civic data is published in your region with an eye to access. Share what you find with civic data producers and publishers.
- Review how civic data is published in your region with an eye to personal privacy. Share what you find with civic data producers and publishers.
- Host workshops, speakers, film screenings, and other events that raise awareness of how individuals' personal traces might appear in civic data. Include guidance on protecting personal privacy.
Inspiration:
Resources you can use:
- Zimmer, Michael, and Bonnie Tijerina. “Library Values & Privacy in Our National Digital Strategies: Field Guides, Convenings, and Conversations.” Milwaukee, WI, July 2018.
Last modified 2yr ago
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