Tim Miller reports:
Folks have been warned about not giving out personal information, but never knew an old library book could hold clues to their identities.
At the University of Toledo, books from the 1980s and 90s with readers’ social security numbers may still be in circulation.
Today, when UT students check out a book, their Rocket Cards are swiped and tracked by a number chosen by the university. But in previous decades, many libraries simply used the pockets in the back of books. Students and faculty would put their name and sometimes, their social security number, on the cards.
The university recently discovered books in circulation with borrowers’ personal information.
Read more on WTOL.
I remember going through the Cal State System in the 70’s. The procedure was the same. I wonder how many other colleges may have books like this!
If memory serves, my uni used that system back then, too. After I read this story, I started thinking about how my SSN is also on well over 200 volumes from other uni’s and hospitals that provided material I needed for my research via interlibrary loan. Hopefully ID thieves don’t read WTOL or this site to get inspiration. In any event, I think we’re all doomed in terms of SSNs being in the wild by now.