Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!drgate!sean
From: sean@drgate.dra.com (Sean Donelan)
Subject: Re: Lifestyle Information (Library Records)
Message-ID: <1991Apr21.072056.3809@drgate.dra.com>
Organization: Data Research Associates, Inc.
References: <E483E4F@taronga.hackercorp.com> <1991Apr17.215136.5150@hobbit.gandalf.ca> <1991Apr18.154841.15621@Think.COM>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1991 07:20:56 GMT

The policy on library records can vary from place to place.  In a
public library, borrower history's are usually treated as confidential
information.  Public libraries generally won't reveal information
without a court order, and even then attempt not to keep information.
Library automation systems are designed to obliterate as much
of the identifying information as quickly as possible.  After returning
a book (and paying any fines), it would take a skilled program to recover
the information.  Within a day the information would pass into the realm
of the NSA magnetic-oxide readers, depending on individual library
policies (database recovery files are nasty things for holding onto
information like this).

A corporate library is often at the opposite end.  Supervisors may look
at records in the normal course of business.  

Academic libraries may fall in either ground.  Some places treat the
library as being under the faculty senate (eg. certain faculty members may
request to see the library records to check for things like plagerism, or
that students are doing their reserve room readings).  However most places
tend to treat library borrowering records like other student records,
such as transcripts and the like.  A few have firm policies about not
revealing such information except under court order (or to the borrower
themselves).

I work with a number of librarians, and was rather amazed at how many of
them had been called in to court to and ordered to turn over borrower
records.  Actually it would turn out they would have to explain why they
didn't keep such records.  In most states library records are not legally
protected, hence the reason why libraries try not to keep them at all.

