At the Rutgers University Libraries, the privacy of our users' personal information is a paramount concern. We believe that this information is theirs alone to share, or not to share, and should not be readily reviewed or acquired by others without a user's knowledge and, ideally, their consent.

With this value in mind the Libraries celebrate Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7, 2013, a program of the American Library Association.

Choose Privacy Week is an initiative that invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. The campaign gives libraries the tools they need to educate and engage users, and gives citizens the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy.

Protecting your private information and web-surfing habits while using public access computers or public wi-fi is an important part of any plan to protect personal privacy. Many people, however, are simply unaware of the easy-to-use strategies that will help them guard their personal information from theft or inadvertent disclosure.

A new tip sheet, Public Computers and Wi-Fi Privacy, helps individuals understand the privacy risks associated with public access computing and outlines how they can protect their privacy while using public computers and public networks. The tip sheet is available here at chooseprivacyweek.org as a free, downloadable PDF file and libraries, schools, and community groups are invited to share the tip sheet with their users, students, and members. There are no restrictions on duplicating or posting the tip sheet for free distribution.

The Public Computers and Wi-Fi Privacy tip sheet is courtesy of Data Privacy Day and is offered in celebration of Choose Privacy Week.

For more information about what the Rutgers University Libraries do to protect your privacy, our privacy policy is available from the bottom of every library Web page.