Confidentiality Policy

Milne Library, SUNY Oneonta

Library employees should never release information about a library patron transaction to anyone without a subpoena or court order that has been approved by college officials.

Law enforcement personnel have a legitimate need to consult confidential library records in the course of a criminal investigation or prosecution. When asked for information or when presented with a subpoena or court order, library employees should immediately refer the matter to the Associate Provost, Library and Information Services.

Under the provisions of the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) the library may receive visits from agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation requesting access to circulation and computer searching records. Library employees should immediately refer these requests to the Associate Provost, Library and Information Services. He/she will refer the request to University Police for immediate verification. Once the request is verified as legitimate under the act, the Associate Provost, in consultation with the Provost and/or the Vice President for Finance and Administration, will direct library employees to provide the requested information. With these requests, staff may not disclose, under penalty of law, the existence of the request or the fact that records were produced.

Milne Library adheres to the American Library Association Code of Ethics, New York State and Federal law. Relevant excerpts from these codes are in the addendum of this document.

EXAMPLES OF CONFIDENTIALITY SITUATIONS BY DEPARTMENT OR TOPIC FOLLOW:

ACQUISITIONS

Library recommendations for purchase are confidential. Library staff should not reveal the name of the selector of a specific item. For example:

- A patron who complains that the library owns books on bomb-making should not be told the name of the selector.
- Library staff should not reveal the name of a donor of gifts who wishes to remain anonymous.

CIRCULATION

Personally identifiable information about library users is confidential. Library staff should not reveal any information about what items individuals have checked out of the library. For example:

- A patron may not be told the name of another patron who has an item checked out. If the patron wants an item, he/she may put a hold on the item.
- A faculty member may not be told which students in his/her classes have checked out reserve materials.
- Parents may not be told what items their children (students) have checked out, even if the children are minors.

A police officer may not get a list from the library of items that have been checked out to a patron for any reason. For example:

- A patron reports a burglary to the police and indicates that library materials were stolen. The patron must supply the list, not the library, although library staff can assist a patron to create the list.

Patron records are confidential. Library staff should not reveal a patron-s address, telephone number, social security or patron identification number. For example:

- A student may not get a current address from library records for a former roommate.
- Printed lists or computer files of patron data should not be left where they are accessible to the public.

REFERENCE

Requests from patrons for information are confidential. The reference interview, online searches and interlibrary loan requests should not be revealed. For example:

- A patron should not be casually told that another patron had earlier requested the same information.
- Patrons should not be specifically identified for purposes of illustrating a research technique or for using a particular library resource.

PERSONNEL RECORDS

Personal information about library staff is confidential. Applications for employment, letters of reference, evaluations and Civil Service Lists should not be shared with unauthorized personnel. For example:

- A request at the Reference Desk for a home telephone number or address of a staff member should not be given unless the number or address is published in a public directory.
- Any printed material that contains student or employee personally identifiable information should be shredded.
- A request for confirmation of current or previous employment at the library for non-student employees should be referred to Human Resources.
- Library staff may provide letters of reference upon request from another institution. It is a courtesy that a person gets prior permission to give the name of a staff member as a reference.

SECURITY PROCEDURES

Procedures for security, codes and passwords are confidential. Only authorized library staff should have this information. For example:

- Authorized staff should never give key cards, keys, passwords or codes for alarm systems or computer systems to unauthorized people.