Downloading a new normal - privacy, exclusion, and information behaviour in public library digital services use during COVID

The necessity to switch from analogue to digital in so much day-to-day living has been the overarching experience of the COVID lockdown for many of the UK population. This project explores "the digital turn" and how compelled use of digital services during COVID lockdown and beyond has impacted one specific sector, namely public libraries across the UK. In doing so it considers issues that have been faced in other public and private organisations across society because of the lockdown, such as (1)privacy and ethical issues in the utilisation of digital in the spaces that were previously overtly analogue in nature, (2)linked issues of digital exclusion and ensuring equity of access, and (3)how information behaviours have adapted and/or been impacted across age groups and other societal demographics. The example of the borrowing of a book brings home the issues; this universally-understood activity of visiting a library building, browsing shelves, and leaving with a physical book has been replaced with (1)visiting library website (2)downloading an app (3)logging into a third party vendor's service (4)agreeing their privacy policy, and (5)navigating their interface to download your content. This is a significant departure from the traditional experience, and raises important issues around privacy, digital equity, and information behaviour that we need to understand. By utilising FoI queries, readability and content analysis of library websites and 3rd party privacy policies, a nationwide survey of library users, and eight UK-wide focus groups, we will gain important insights into how compelled use of digital has impacted society.