Our Commitment to Our Patrons 

The Shelby County Public Library is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patron records. The library collects personal information only to deliver requested services. The library will not sell, share, or trade our patrons’ names, personal identifiable information, or library account information with any other entity except those working under contract or as required by law. We will not send mailings to our patrons on behalf of other organizations not directly affiliated with the Shelby County Public Library. The library provides our website as a public service to our patrons and respects the privacy of each visitor. 

 

Access to Patron Information 

All patron records are confidential and may only be disclosed to/by: 

·         Library staff performing job duties 

·         Cardholders upon proof of identity 

·         Parents or guardians of minors (limited access) 

·         Under court order or subpoena 

 

If the library cardholder is under the age of 18, the parents or legal guardians may only be given information associated with the materials that have accrued fees. 

Library patrons may access their personally identifiable information and are responsible for keeping it accurate and up to date. This can be done online or in person. Proof of identity is required to update information in person and a password is required to update information online. 

 

Surveillance 

The library uses digital video surveillance inside and outside our library locations. Digital video may be stored for up to 30 days. Video is only available to view by authorized library staff or law enforcement authorities following a warrant or subpoena.  

 

Linking to Other Websites 

The library’s website contains links to other websites. The content or privacy policies of other sites are not the responsibility of the library. Users are subject to the privacy policy of other sites once they link to them.  

 

Enforcement 

Library patrons who have questions, concerns, or complaints regarding the library’s handling of their privacy and confidentiality rights should request to speak to a library manager. The library will respond promptly and may investigate or review practices and procedures. 

Library records are not made available to any agency of state, federal, or local government without a subpoena, warrant, court order, or other legal document requiring the library to do so. All staff have been trained to refer any law enforcement requests to library administrators. 

The library takes seriously its obligation to protect the privacy of every patron. Any appearance of inconvenience to patrons to protect patrons’ privacy is unintentional, but the library believes it is a small cost for the assurance that an individual’s reading preferences and use of the library will remain exclusively a person’s business. 

 

ALA Code of Ethics

 

As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs. 

Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment. 

We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations. 

The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations. 

 

1.      We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests. 

2.      We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources. 

3.      We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted. 

4.      We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders. 

5.      We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions. 

6.      We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions. 

7.      We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources. 

8.      We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession. 

9.      We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces. 

 

Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.