CONFIDENTIALITY OF LIBRARY RECORDS
approved by the Library Board March 13, 2024
Reaffirming the individual's right to read, listen, and view, the Petersburg Public Library declares that circulation and registration records of the library are confidential in nature, protected by the individual's right to privacy, and that these records are not to be disclosed to any person or agency, government, or other organization, under any circumstance, except upon order from a court of competent jurisdiction. Any costs the library incurs in any search shall be charged to the agency demanding such search. Authority for this policy is set in Alaska Statutes, Inspection and Copying of Public Records: Sec. 40.25.140. Confidentiality of library records, quoted below:
(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, the names, addresses, or other personal identifying information of people who have used materials made available to the public by a library shall be kept confidential, except upon court order, and are not subject to inspection under AS 40.25.110 or 40.25.120. This section applies to libraries operated by the state, a municipality, or a public school, including the University of Alaska.
(b) Records of a public elementary or secondary school library identifying a minor child shall be made available on request to a parent or guardian of that child. (sec. 1 ch 35 SLA 1985)
To conform to the law: names, addresses, telephone numbers, or information concerning what items are on a patron's account or what a patron is reading will NOT be given out to anyone, including spouses and law enforcement officers, with the following exceptions:
Patrons requesting information in person about their own accounts and are able produce their own library cards or identification.
Patrons request information over the telephone about their own accounts and can provide the account number and PIN.
Patrons email requesting information about their own accounts from the email address listed for the account and can provide the account number.
Parents or legal guardians request titles of overdue, lost, or damaged items their minor children have borrowed, and the identity of the person can be verified as a parent or guardian listed on the minor's account.
Patrons under the age of 18 may give verbal consent for the parent(s)/guardian(s) to access their library records. Staff will attach a message to the patron record stating that the child has given his or her consent.
