Return to Confidentiality of patron records — staff procedures.

January 2024

Quick links

• See Statement on privacy and confidentiality of library records on the public website.
• All law enforcement requests must be referred to the Library Director's Office.
• See Confidentiality quick look and by service charts, which are tools and not the full policy.
• Jump to a section below:
  • Account holders
  • People who are NOT the account holder
  • Library cards, card numbers and PIN/passwords
  • Privacy​​​     ​​​​​​
  • Use and retention of records
  • Voicemail messages

Quick facts

Multnomah County Library recognizes that all library users, regardless of age, have a right to privacy regarding personally identifiable information, questions asked, program registrations and materials accessed or borrowed. There are few exceptions to these procedures.

• Only authorized people may access information about titles, checkouts, holds, and fees.
• Authorized people are the account holder or a person who is helping the account holder use the library for a specific purpose who has the library card or library card number.
• This confidentiality policy applies to all interactions with patrons -- in person or via telephone, email, text, chat, etc.
• Library staff will not volunteer personal information about patrons, such as name or contact information.
• Holds will be shelved under the first four letters of the last name and the last four numbers of the library account number. People must have the partial name and number to pick up holds for other patrons.
• All requests for access to personal information -- name, address, telephone, email, birthdate, etc. -- must be referred to the Library Director’s Office at 503.988.5403.
• Exceptions may be made by the Public Services Management Team to accommodate access to the library during exceptional circumstances, such as a pandemic, emergency, or when services are limited. These may include giving out and updating library barcodes and passwords via phone, chat and email.
• See the County Telework Policies and Privacy Guide, which includes being aware of screens and conversations while teleworking, dealing with paper, and locking computers when unattended.
• All confidentiality policies apply when working in libraries, during outreach, and while teleworking. See Staff use of the Integrated Library System (ILS).
• See the library's Statement on Privacy and Confidentiality of Library Records on the public website for more details.
• These policies and procedures may be changed to meet exceptional circumstances, such as a pandemic or other emergencies..

Account holders may access their own accounts

• With a library card, library card number, by presenting photo identification, or by giving identifying information (name, address, birth date, etc.) that matches the account.
• Account holders may view and update  some of their contact information by logging into the online catalog.
• Account holders may update their contact information. Staff will not offer the contact information from the account in person or by phone, chat or email, etc.
• If the person with a card or card number is asking for personal information from the account or does not offer the reason for wanting access to the account:
  • Staff will ask the person what they want to do on the account and assist them.
  • If needed, if the account holder is in the library, staff will ask the person if this is their account and ask the person to verify their full birth date. If the person does not appear to be close to the age of the birth date, staff may ask for other information in the account to verify they are the account holder..
  • Staff will not share personal information by phone, chat or email, etc.
• Video sessions with account holders will follow the in-person policy.
• If the staff person is reasonably sure they are talking with the account holder, they may turn computer screens around when helping account holders with their own accounts.
• If staff are not reasonably sure that they are talking with the account holder, staff will follow the policy for a person accessing another patron’s account.
• All other requests for print or electronic copies of personal information -- name, address, birth date, etc. -- must be referred to the Library Director’s Office at 503.988.5403.

People who are NOT the account holder

• May access accounts with a library card or library card number, with the purpose of helping a patron use or manage their account (i.e. check out, return materials, renew, manage holds, or pay fees).
• Staff will not give out personal information -- name, address, email, etc. -- to people who are not the account holder. All requests for verbal, print or electronic copies of personal information must be referred to the Library Director’s Office at 503.988.5403.
  • If the person does not offer the reason for wanting access to the account, staff will ask the person what transaction they want to do on the account.
  • ​If the person asks for personal information, but does not request a transaction, staff will re-frame the request to determine what transaction the person wants to do.
  • ​Do not share any personal information if the person states that they do not know the account holder's name, that they found the card and they want to contact the account holder, or otherwise indicates they do not have permission to access the account.
    • Follow the Library card found or turned into the library procedure.
    • If needed, follow the unauthorized access procedure and/or refer the person to the Library Director’s Office at 503.988.5403.
  • Staff may not turn a computer screen around so it can be viewed by someone who is not the account holder. If it is the account holder, follow the procedure for patrons accessing their own accounts.
• With the library card, the person may check out, including interlibrary loans, and change the PIN/password.
• With the library card number only:
  • The person may hear items checked out, holds, and details of monetary fees.
  • They may also manage holds, receive a list of checked out items, and receive a detailed payment receipt. See Application for details.
  • The person may not check out items on the account, unless they have the PIN/password and use self-checkout.
• With the account holder name only:
  • The person may do some actions that will help the account holder, such as renewing, paying fees, or updating contact information. See Application for details.
  • The person may not receive information about items on hold or checked out, receive detailed payment receipts or check out on the account. This includes titles, hold pick up location, or if holds exist.
  • People picking up holds for other patrons must have the partial name and partial library card number to identify holds on the hold shelf.
  • They can check them out on the hold patron’s account if they have the library card, or card number and password to use self-checkout.
  • With a name only, holds can be checked out on the account of the person picking up the holds.

Library cards, card numbers and PIN/passwords

These things are accepted as the library card: 

• The physical library card
• Library card numbers or barcodes on phones or other devices that are part of the Integrated Library System (ILS) -- such as Symphony, SirsiDynix app, or My MCL.  These sites and apps are verified through Symphony and require a library card number and password to login.

These things are not accepted as the library card:

• Library card numbers or barcodes on paper, phones, or other devices that are not part of the ILS -- such as scans, photos or other apps. These options are not verified through Symphony.

Library card numbers:

• May only be given out or replaced in person, except as approved by the Contact Center Administrator for exceptional circumstances, such as a pandemic, emergency or when services are limited.
• If it is difficult for an account holder to come into a library to get their library card number, such as when out of town or in the hospital, contact center and virtual services staff can email an account holder the library card number.
  • They will send the card number to the email address currently in the account.
  • The account holder's email address cannot be added or updated before sending the card number.
• If the above circumstances apply, a library card may be mailed to the account holder.

PINs or passwords:

• At a library, passwords may be reset in person by the account holder or by a person with the library card who is helping the patron use the library
• Online, passwords may be reset via the Forgot Your PIN/Password feature on the library's website. Staff may not add or update patrons' email addresses before referring patrons to the Forgot Your PIN/Password feature.
• Contact Center staff may reset passwords over the phone.
• Library Connect passwords may be reset via chat. 

Privacy

All staff members are expected to be familiar with and to follow the Multnomah County Library Statement on Privacy and Confidentiality of Library Records, located on the library's public website.

The library does not rent, sell or distribute patron contact information unless required by law to do so. Patrons may be contacted about library events and services. Patrons may opt out of these library contacts and unsubscribe from library marketing emails. Patrons may opt in to be contacted by the Friends of the Library and the Library Foundation. Patrons may choose to create library-related accounts, such as My MCL (Bibliocommons) and OverDrive (Libby), and agree to those vendors’ terms of use. See the library's Statement on Privacy and Confidentiality of Library Records on the public website for more details.

Patrons who do not want their names on public hold shelves may have their holds shelved under their partial user keys instead of partial name.

Use and retention of library records

Library records, including information which identifies materials used by the patron, such as those checked out by a patron currently or in the past, will not be divulged to anyone except the account holder, someone who can produce the account holder's library card number for the purpose of helping them use the library, or as required by law.

Library records, including patron and registration records, may be used only by a library employee working within the scope of their duties when helping a patron use the library. Except when helping a patron use the library, or as required by law, library staff will not review, share, and/or communicate any information from any patron's library record for any purpose. This includes patrons' personal information, use of the library, or if a record exists. 

Requests for personal information or library usage shall be directed to the Multnomah County Library Director's Office. Mandatory reporting situations are exempt from this Confidentiality policy. See Staff use of personal library accounts and Staff use of the Integrated Library System (ILS).

Library records may also be used by outside agencies to send notices about holds and checked out items..

Paper library records with names, contact information or materials information in the library’s possession will be shredded after they are no longer needed for library business. Hold slips with partial names and partial library card numbers do not need to be shredded. See Shredding Quick Tips and the County Telework Policies and Privacy Guide.

Electronic records that are no longer needed for library business purposes are purged on a regular basis, unless the library is required to keep them. See Records retention.

Voicemail messages

Library staff may leave detailed voicemail messages for patrons who have given specific permission to do so, such as when responding to Ask the Librarian questions.

If patrons have not given specific permission, library staff will not leave specific voicemail messages about items, accounts, or lost and found items, etc. Staff will identify themselves as a library staff person and ask the patron to contact the library.

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