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Privacy, Confidentiality, Child's Library Card, Mom's Email Address
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Privacy, Confidentiality, Child's Library Card, Mom's Email Address
Tags: child rights children confidentiality confidentiality policies e-mail privacy
6:45 PM EDT 8/3/09
A mother came in to pick up her son's book at the library. She had an email that arrived on her cell phone with a message addressed to her son telling her that the book he had requested was available for pick up. She did not have her son or her son's card with her when she stopped in to pick up the book.

Staff would not check the book out to her because she did not have her son's card or her son with her. Somehow the issue of confidentiality was raised, and she pointed to her phone and said "What confidentiality? You sent this message to my email. Here it is. I just want to pick up the book."

In the end, she was concerned to learn that her son has rights to privacy and confidentiality that she did not realize she gave to him by signing for the library card.

Question 1: How do other libraries make it clear to parents that by allowing their child to have a card, they are also allowing their child their right to privacy? I mean really clear, not just a line in two pages of circulation policy.

I recognize that privacy boundaries are skewed when we send emails or leave messages on answering machines where there may be more than one person who has access to the messaging service. On a voicemail, we do not name the titles that are available, but the email notice does.

Question 2: Are we liable for the information presented, if the patron gave us that method for notification?

And finally, Question 3: If we accept a library card with no picture and no actual proof that the card actually belongs to the person in front of us, are we really upholding our patron's right to confidentiality and privacy?
RE: Privacy, Confidentiality, Child's Library Card, Mom's Email Address
4:05 PM EDT 8/6/09 as a reply to Sarah Tobias.
This is an interesting predicament. On one hand is the question of privacy and the rights of children, and on the other hand, is the question of the rights of parents.

As librarians we are taught to abhor censorship, even in regard to childrens books. That it is not our responsibility to censor or determine what someone else should or should not read, only to provide the information the satisfies the intellectual and leisurely needs and wants of the communities that our public libraries serve. Conversely, it is the sole responsiblity of the parent or caregiver to determine what is appropriate for thier children to read.

As a parent, I alone have the right to know what my child is reading and to determine what he should or should not be reading. It is not his job to find appropriate material, it is mine, not as a librarian, but as a parent.

Though I am a semester away from my MLIS degree the one thing that I have found most surprising about librarianship is the degree to which politics plays a roll. While it is important to adhere to the policies which our libraries abide by in order in protect and serve all of our patrons, sometimes those rules must be bent in order to serve our patrons best.

If a gentlemen comes into the library where I work, and wants to pick up a hold for his wife and he does not have her library card, even though it is contrary to our policy to do so, I will check it out for him. Do I look and make sure that they have the same address if I do not recognize them? Of course! It is more important to me that our patrons leave the library knowing that we are here to serve them.

As far as I'm concerned, and maybe this opinion is founded in the fact that I was raised in the south, but a child has no right to privacy when it comes to thier parent wanting to know what they are reading. Some other adult, another kid, or even grandparents wanting to know is another story, and in these cases, absolutely would I protect that child's right to privacy. The parent or legal guardian though, that is another story.

Now to answer your questions:

1. We make it clear that to parents that thier child's library account is ultimately thier responsiblity, not the child's. We let them know that if thier child checks out 50 books and does not return them, the parents' names will be sent to collections, not the child's.

2. I would think not.

3. This is a fuzzy question. I want to say yes, except in cases where a library card has been reported stolen or missing, but logically I know that if there is no picture on the card, nor a name, that you are only going on good faith that the card belongs to the presenter.
RE: Privacy, Confidentiality, Child's Library Card, Mom's Email Address
3:26 PM EDT 8/20/09 as a reply to Sarah Tobias.
Certainly always tricky!

At Seattle Public, a patron can request to grant permission for named spouses and/or children to pick up holds on your behalf, as long as they 1. have their own card present 2. your permission is indicated in their account for staff to cross-reference.

I can't remember if it was a form we had folks fill out or if the request just needed to be made, but it's been a life saver for our family and for staff dealing with busy public desks.

I think it's tricky too, when children are using their parent's email for notification. I think as long as the kids know that their parents will see what they request, you're right, it's the parent's responsibility to make sure they understand this. My son now has his own email so he gets his own notifications, but we still need to drive him to the library to pick it up!