Confidentiality Statement
The general policy of the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Library is that its circulation records and other records linking a library user with specific materials or services are confidential in nature. In accord with established principles and best practices guiding the provision of library services, staff members may not release the names of borrowers who are using or who have used library materials or services. Exceptions are made only upon court order, subpoena, or warrant, or when deemed necessary the University officials for internal investigations.
The Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and the Vice President for Business and Finance are the University's liaison with judicial and law enforcement authorities in maters regarding official records of the University. A member of the library staff may not release information except to the office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and the Vice President for Business and Finance except in the case of a warrant which is immediately executable.
The USA PATRIOT Act
The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) become federal law on October 26, 2001. Under provisions of the Act, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement officials may seek court orders for library records for investigations relevant to national security or terrorism. Libraries or library staff served with these search warrants may not disclose, under penalty of law, the existence of the warrants or the fact that records were produced as a result of the warrants. Borrowers cannot be told that their records were given to law enforcement agencies or that they were the subject of FBI investigations.
Many provision of the PATRIOT Act, including the section that relates to libraries, expire automatically on December 31, 2005, unless renewed by Congress.
The J. E. and L. E. Mabee Library keeps the minimum number of records necessary to maintain operations. For example, when a user logs off a library computer, the library does not retain information that connects the user to activities performed during the session. When a borrower returns materials to the library, if no fines or fees are assessed, information about the materials checked out is deleted from the library's online records.
For more information
The full text of the PATRIOT Act is available at: http://www.fincen.gov/hr3162.pdf
Additional information on libraries and the USA PATRIOT Act is available from the American Library Association at: http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/usapatriotact.html.
