Confidentiality
of Patrons
The
Malden Public Library maintains confidentiality concerning all library records
and patron information as required by law. According to Massachusetts General
Laws Annotated, chapter 78, Section 7 which reads in part “…that part of the
records of a public library which reveals the identity and intellectual
pursuits of a person using such library shall not be a public record….”
Patron
records are defined as a record in any form that is maintained by the Library
that contains any of the following types of information:
- Information an individual is
required to provide in order to be eligible to use Library services or
borrow materials
- Information that identifies
an individual as having requested or obtained specific materials or
materials on a certain subject
- Information that is provided
by an individual to assist a staff member to answer a specific question or
provide information on a particular subject
Library
records shall not be made available to any agency of federal, state, or local
government or to any spouse or other individual, except in the following
circumstances:
- At the request of a parent,
guardian or custodian for the delinquent record of their child, including,
but not limited to, lost books, fines, fees, of their child who hold a
juvenile or young adult Malden Public Library card
- At the request or consent of
the individual who is the subject of the record or information
- In accordance with a
subpoena, search warrant, or other court order, or to a law enforcement
officer who is investigating a matter involving public safety in exigent
circumstances
-Approved February 14, 2008 by the Trustees of the