Confidentiality of Library Requests

Pennsylvania Law, (24 Pa. C.S.A. Section 4428) provides for the confidentiality of library circulation and use records.

Title 24; Pennsylvania Statutes
Section 4428 Library Circulation Records

Records related to the circulation of library materials which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the State Library or any local library which is established or maintained under any law of the Commonwealth of the library of any university, college or education institution chartered by the Commonwealth or the library of any public school or branch reading room, deposit station or agency operated in connection therewith, shall be confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except by a court order in a criminal proceeding.

1962, June 14, P.L. 324, No. 188, section 428, added 1984, June 27, P.L. 431, No. 90, section 3, immediately effective.

This policy follows the recommendations of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association.

The Bertrand Library's definition of circulation records includes interlibrary loan, media services, database searching, "electronic searching" and any other records which track or identify a borrower of media services materials, or a library user of any service.

It is the policy of the Bertrand Library to maintain no record that would link a user to materials or service once the materials are returned or a service completed. Furthermore, whenever feasible, whatever records that the Bertrand Library gathers for statistical purposes are retained separately and independently from user identification.

No library or media services employee shall reveal the identity of a borrower or any other information relating to the borrower to any requestor except as required by proper legal order or subpoena. Nor shall information on what reference questions are asked by whom be divulged.

Those to whom information will be denied includes, but is not limited to: faculty, staff, parents, students, campus security, police, F.B.I. agents, and military personnel. These regulations include reserve book material. Circulation staff refer to faculty with special concerns to the Director or Associate Director.