[Publib] Confidentiality: telephone reserve notification

[Dale McNeill]

I've worked in a few urban libraries.  None provided the title when  
calling.  Confidentially relating to libraries is a bit different in  
each state, which is probably why ALA doesn't attempt to provide  
direction that would apply to the entire US.

I've found that providing a little script for staff or volunteers to  
use when calling (to be used when customers question this practice)  
can be helpful.  When the statute was enacted in Texas, I was at a  
very small branch of  a county system.  We found it useful to explain  
the benefits of the new system and to let customers know how to call  
in for the information.  We also made a list to call, so the caller  
could honestly say "I don't have the book here."

Dale

Dale McNeill


On Jun 1, 2009, at 12:39 PM, "Fred Sandner - FML" <fsandner at rcls.org>  
wrote:

>
> Here is the short question: Do libraries with either automated or  
> live telephone reserve notification provide the titles of reserved  
> materials? If you do in a "live" situation, do you require ID, eg  
> patron barcode? What is our responsibility regarding confidentiality  
> of patron information? ALA does not address this specifically.
>
> Here is the (much) longer question: In our library system, a NYS  
> library consortium with a Horizon ALS and very heavy electronic ILL,  
> the majority of reserve notification is done by email. For those  
> patrons who do not have email, I believe all libraries telephone the  
> patron to notify them. Our library has a policy of not giving out  
> titles of reserve materials when we call. To do so, we would require  
> the patron's barcode due to confidentiality concerns (anybody could  
> have answered the phone). However, the call list does not include  
> the patron's barcode because the Horizon report does not include the  
> patron barcode as an available field (it does include the patron ID  
> #, which the patron does not have). Therefore, we would have to  
> search the patron db to check the patron's ID each time we got a  
> request for titles. Our call lists can be quite long, so this would  
> slow things down considerably. We also have volunteer callers who do  
> not use the automated system. So we have opted not to give out  
> titles when we call. We do tell patrons if they call back later and  
> give their barcode and phone number to a clerk, we will provide them  
> with the titles (which also acts as a deterrent, since few call back).
>             Here's the rub: some patrons who we call become annoyed  
> that we do not provide the titles. They tell us that there are other  
> libraries that will - apparently without requiring the patron's  
> barcode. So there is some interest in having a uniform system-wide  
> policy. I know that there are libraries with automated reserve  
> calling systems that do not provide the titles - ostensibly due to  
> confidentiality. What do other libraries with telephone reserve  
> notification - live or automated - do about titles? What is our  
> responsibility regarding confidentiality of patron information? ALA  
> does not address this specifically.
>
>
> Fred Sandner
> Senior Department Head
> Head, Circulation/Media Services
> Finkelstein Memorial Library
> 24 Chestnut Street
> Spring Valley, NY 10977
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