[Publib] Patron Confidentiality

Wed Jan 25 12:42:55 EST 2006

Quite honestly, I am leaning in the direction of protecting everyone's confidentiality or I wouldn't have asked! :-) I feel sorry for the patron, but maybe she should have taken her valuables with her! 

Lisë Chlebanowski

Library Manager

Avondale Public Library

(623) 478-3105

lchlebanowski at avondale.org

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." 

Groucho Marx <http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Groucho_Marx/> 

________________________________

From: Carl F Paulson [mailto:cpaulson8 at juno.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 10:37 AM
To: Lise Chlebanowski
Subject: Fw: [Publib] Patron Confidentiality

Lise:

I don't think it's a weird question. But I do think you might want to talk to the library's attorney before you release the information to the police. There may be a state law against releasing the information in your state. 

If it were my decision, and course it is yours, I would not release the information to the police without a subpoena. I believe that any patron's presence in the library is no concern of anyone except the patron and the library. But I may be more extreme in my beliefs than you. It sounds like you are trying to decide. I hope you listen to others who may have other beliefs. Then follow your own conscience. It looks like you have one.

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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:01:11 -0700

Subject: [Publib] Patron Confidentiality

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Message-ID: <AA5AF7CC3A17C2498626C20910F5335575F156 at svex01-evs01.avondale.org>

This is kind of a weird question, but I thought I'd pick the collective brain. We have a small computer room - 10 computers - and yesterday one of our patrons left her purse next to the computer she was using and when she came back it was gone along with her wallet with $500 and cards inside. She contacted the police and has filed a report with them. Her charge cards are already being used at various locations. Here's the dilemma: We have no reservation software. We handle computers by checking them out like books. Then we print a receipt for each checkout with the time stamped on it so that we can monitor use based on time. When the person checks the computer back in, we throw the receipt away. The patron came back last night and asked if she could have the receipts that we were throwing away as she felt that information might help. I told her that I didn't feel comfortable handing the receipts to her, but that I would consider giving them to the police officer. The receipt has the name of the patron, their library card number and the time they checked into the computer. That's all that is on the receipt. It doesn't even say what computer they were using, what they did on the computer or anything like that. It would tell the officer all the people using the computers around the time her wallet was stolen. 

Should I offer the receipts to the officer? I'd like to help the patron, but I'm not sure it would help much anyway. That's my dilemma. What would pub-libbers do? 

Lisë Chlebanowski

Library Manager

Avondale Public Library

(623) 478-3105

lchlebanowski at avondale.org

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." 

Groucho Marx <http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Groucho_Marx/> 

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