Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze the privacy statements of the top public libraries based on the
ranking of public libraries by the American Library Association and to present a user privacy statement for Iran’s
public libraries.
Method: The current research is applied in terms of purpose and is a type of mixed research in terms of method,
in which library, Delphi, and descriptive survey methods were used. In order to answer the research questions, first
by visiting the websites of the public libraries under review, their privacy statements or information confidentiality
statements (if any) were extracted. In the second step, those libraries who had a privacy statement in the first step
were identified, and then their statements were examined and the basic principles common to most libraries were
extracted. Then, a list of various information collected by the libraries from users (based on the main criteria of the
users’ privacy statement) was prepared. Then, using the Delphi method, this list was provided to 12 librarians and
public library specialists who were selected by snowball sampling. Thus the main information that was provided to
the libraries by the users and the reports of the users’ performance by library systems were determined. In the last
step, according to the obtained results, the privacy statements of the users’ information were compiled based on the
extracted information.
Findings: The findings showed that out of the 25 libraries examined, 24 libraries had provided user privacy
statements on their website. Furthermore, the results indicated that the statement of the Chicago Public Library
was the most comprehensive statement, and among the factors mentioned, the discussion of the library’s strategies
regarding the use of records of the library systems, the records related to the user profile of the library users, and the
reasons for presenting and publishing the users’ information were the most frequent. Finally, the main sections that
should be included in the users’ privacy statement were presented, and strategies for public libraries in providing
user privacy statements were suggested.
Originality/value: The results of the research showed the importance of the existence of the user privacy statement
in the top public libraries, and finally, the basic principles proposed for the user privacy statement in public libraries
were presented and 30 strategies were suggested to prepare a privacy statement for public libraries.