Protecting Your Privacy: January 29, 2009

Well, today the sheriff came in with a wallet he had taken from some one who should not have had it.....and as he had found a library card in the wallet (but no drivers license) he came to the library wanting the personal information for this person (address & phone number).

If any of you know me, you know that I didn't give him the information, and you also know this didn't make him happy. I told him that it was against Library policy to give out any personal information of any of our card holders without a court order. To which he informed me that he had a right to the information as it was pertaining to his current investigation.

Now, this young man was not rude, pushy, or "authoritative", yet I still politely refused and I even went into my manager's office to ask her. She said, well "we can get into trouble for not cooperating with the sheriff" and proceeded to call her manager, who in turn called our Security Officer.

It turns out that I was correct and there is a State code that protects a library users' information and their right to privacy unless a court order has been issued.

What we did do however, upon learning that the DMV had no record of this person, was to call the phone number listed on the account, only to find that it was 'No longer in service".

So, we Librarians do protect your privacy and your personal information!

Just one more reason "Why You Should Get Down on Your Knees and Worship a Librarian"