Self-Service Holds in Libraries Is Patron Privacy Being Sacrificed for Patron Convenience?

The increased use of self service holds, a holds system where a patron is notified that a requested book has arrived and the patron retrieves it from a publicly accessible holds shelf without assistance from library staff, raises new questions about user privacy. In response to concerns about possible violations of patron confidentiality with this practice, in 2011 ALA passed a Resolution to Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices. Michigan libraries were surveyed to determine the number that use self-service holds; why or why not they choose to implement them, and, if they did, what methods they used to protect the privacy of their patrons. The results show that between 15% and 27% of Michigan libraries currently use self-service holds and more libraries plan to implement them in the future. The survey responses suggest that methods employed to protect patron privacy are not sustainable, not cost effective, or simply not effective. The identity of the requesting patron of 85% of the items placed on self-service holds shelves in responding libraries can still be discerned by other patrons.