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 Malden Public Library