PRIVACY POLICY
This policy applies to cardholders regardless of age. Massachusetts state law (M.G.L. c78:7) prohibits public library staff from disclosing a patron’s identity and/or borrowing habits. The law does not differentiate categories of borrowers and applies equally to minors and adults.
All personal information as it appears on an individual’s registration for a library card is considered confidential. In the course of normal library business, no personal information will be shared, sold, traded, or otherwise disseminated outside the library network without a signed note of permission from the cardholder.
Massachusetts state law prohibits the library staff from disclosing a minor’s borrowing habits to the minor’s parents, even if the parent has signed the minor’s library card, and even if the parent is paying a library fine or fee on the minor’s behalf.
Library users of any age who wish to keep track of their own borrowing habits may elect to establish an online account and PIN on the online catalog. Library staff have no access to such accounts.
The library does not keep paper application cards on file. Instead, once the information is entered in the C/W MARS network, the card will be cut up or shredded and discarded by the end of each working day.
Public computer log sheets will be shredded at the end of each working day.
The staff recognize all library users’ right to privacy and will keep library records (including, but not limited to, items borrowed and questions asked) confidential, and will neither reveal to a third party the identity of those using library materials nor reveal items checked out on another person’s card unless legally compelled to do so via warrant or subpoena.
· Any staff member receiving a request for information about information or materials considered confidential will notify the Director immediately. The Director will forward the request to Town Counsel to verify its legal sufficiency.
· Any request for information considered confidential must be accompanied by a warrant or subpoena. Should a request be submitted without a warrant or subpoena, the library has no duty to furnish information.
· Staff will have time to collect information requested by subpoena.
· Staff will comply immediately with law enforcement officers executing a search warrant.
In the event that a telephone caller or visitor to the library asks for a patron by name (e.g., “Is my son studying in the library?”), disclosure of such information is at the individual staff member’s discretion. The library staff will not necessarily know familial or other relationships between patrons, and without verification of the inquirer’s identify, cannot be expected to respond to this type of question.
Staff will not give out any personal information about other staff members, including but not limited to home addresses or telephone numbers.
The staff will use only publicly available sources such as the telephone book to answer patron questions about addresses, phone numbers, and the like. If publicly available sources fail, the staff will never use library records to locate such information.
Approved by the Library Trustees 6/2007
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