Library Policies
The library takes the issue of privacy very seriously. In light of new legislation, we want you to be as informed as possible about our policy.
Under the federal USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 (Public Law 107-56), records of the books and other materials you borrow from this library as well as information about your use of the library's computers may be obtained by federal agents. The law also prohibits library workers from informing you if federal agents have obtained records about you.
State law require that “no employee of a library shall disclose any library record that identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific materials, information, or services or as having otherwise used such library”.
Before the passage of the USA Patriot Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) in 2001, the library would not release information about a library patron without a court order or subpoena. The library could have notified you of the request for your records to give you an opportunity to go to court and challenge the order.
Since the passage of the Patriot Act, the library is subject to search warrants requesting information about library users and their intellectual pursuits. These search warrants are effective immediately and the library is forbidden by law to inform you about the warrant. Access to patron information may include circulation records, computer use records, interlibrary loan records, and reference questions.
The library keeps as little information as practical about library patrons and their use of the library. To protect your privacy, we take the following precautions:
· Circulation transaction logs are deleted after several months.
· No software tracks the activities of computer users.
· Computer sessions are counted for statistical purposes daily, and all records of an individual's computer use are deleted at the end of the day.
· We do not keep records of reference questions.
· We do not keep records connecting library users to interlibrary loan transactions longer than one month after the transactions are completed.
We will do our utmost to uphold your privacy and confidentiality relating to your library use.
For the full text of the Patriot Act, visit http://thomas.loc.gov, select legislation: public laws, select Congress 107, select 107-51 – 107-100, click search, and select number 56, H.R. 3162.
Questions or comments about the USA Patriot Act and its effect on you can be submitted to: Attorney General
Information modified from Knox County Public Library 500 West Church Ave. Knoxville, TN 37902
