Confidentiality of patron records is defined as our responsibility to our patrons to maintain the privacy of their personal information including borrowing records and identifying information. This policy specifies when it is permissible to disclose this personal information.
- A person in possession of a library card has full access to all patron information pertaining to that card. No further verification is necessary at the circulation desk.
- A person possessing only the library card number needs to provide verifying information (S.S.N. or D.O.B.) in order to have full access to patron information at the circulation desk.
- A person without a library card or library card number is required to give the following verification: name, address, and either birth date or social security number, in order to have full access to information about his/her own patron information at the circulation desk. This information, including the patron's library card number, should be given only at the circulation desk, where verifying information is available on the computer.
- No patron information can be given at the circulation desk to a third party, even if that party is the parent/guardian or spouse of the card holder, unless that person is in possession of the patron's library card number with verifying information or the patron's library card.
- All telephone inquiries require a library card number and verification (either social security number or birth date of the patron owning the library card) in order to have full access to patron information. When a lost library card is reported over the telephone, the card number will be deleted, but no patron information will be given over the telephone without the library card number.
- No personal information, including address and/or telephone number, of a patron or staff member is to be given out without a court ordered subpoena.
