Why do we shred?
- To protect patron privacy and confidentiality as required by state law, county policy, and library policy.
- See Administrative Procedure (PII-1)(link is external) and the county shredding FAQ(link is external).
- See Statement on Privacy and Confidentiality of Library Records on the public website and Confidentiality of library records -- staff procedures in the Circulation Manual.
- To destroy information that could be used for identity theft.
What do we shred?
- Anything that has name, date of birth, or contact information on it. This includes names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or any other personal information.
- Anything that has a credit/debit card on it. Do not write down or capture any other numbers, such as driver's license, identification, or bank numbers.
- Anything that ties patrons' names to their use of specific library materials, titles, or services.
What about hold slips?
Holds slips with partial names and library card numbers do not have to be shredded because they do not include Personal Identifying Information (PII).
How often do you shred?
Best practice is to shred as you go. Do not leave items that must be shredded unattended. Shredding should be automatically included in tasks that involve patron and item information.
Where do we we put things that should be shredded?
Every location should have a shredding bin. These will be emptied on a regular basis. Shredding bins may be ordered. Please contact the person who orders supplies at your location.