Return to Confidentiality of Patron Records -- Staff Procedures

January 2021

Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of library users is a paramount library value. It is important for both intellectual freedom and personal safety.

Oregon's public records law, under ORS 192.502(23), establishes an exemption from disclosure without conditions for the records of a library, including:

(a) Circulation records, showing use of specific library material by a named person; (b) The name of a library patron together with the address or telephone number of the patron; and (c) The email address of a patron.

This law allows the library to set policies to protect library circulation and registration records from disclosure. In setting these policies, the library tries to strike a balance between the privacy of the user and convenience for that same user.

Exceptions may be made to accommodate access to the library during exceptional circumstances when patrons may not be able to visit the library in person, such as a pandemic, emergency or when services are limited. These include giving out and updating library barcodes and passwords via phone, chat and email.

There is a conflict between the convenience of allowing other people to update contact information and sending update and title information via mail or email.

• With a name only, a person who is not the account holder can add or update a physical or email address. The library allows that because it is unlikely that every person in a family will update their contact information individually.
• However, library staff cannot immediately add or update a physical or email address before sending out a library card number, connecting the patron with Forgot Your Password, or offering to mail or email out a list of titles. We do not allow that because the existing address is the only way to verify that we are sending the card, PIN or title information to the patron.