Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association. Lipscomb University's Beaman Library defines the right to privacy as the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information about users and keeps that information private on their behalf.
Our commitment to our users' privacy and confidentiality has deep roots not only in law but also in the ethics and practices of librarianship. In accordance with the American Library Association's Code of Ethics: "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." (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics)
Beaman Library protects the privacy of those who use the library. Staff and student workers protect registration information about borrowers, their requests for information and materials, and their loan transactions. Library employees are legally prohibited from providing information regarding a patron's library account to any other person regardless of their status or identity.
Patron Record Privacy
A library registration record is created for each patron. The record contains the borrower's name, address, and other identifying information. This information is used only for library circulation purposes. The library's circulation function links a patron with the library materials he or she has checked out. For each item checked out to a patron, the library maintains the following information:
Item specific details such as the author, title, call number, and barcode number.
The date charged, loan period, and the date due.
Staff or student workers will NOT disclose the following:
The name of a patron who has a particular item checked out.
The titles that are checked out to a particular patron.
Personal information of any patron (address, phone number, email, etc).
Identify a patron who has checked out a particular item or describe them in any other way.
Staff or student workers MAY take the following actions:
Give the due date of a particular item.
Recall any checked out item if the due date is past.
Suggest that the patron contact class members regarding the item needed.
Web Statistics
Occasionally Beaman Library collects and analyzes data about the use of its website to improve service. The Library may choose to use an externally hosted service (e.g., Google Analytics) to collect this data. Most external services use web browser cookies to track usage. To opt-out of such tracking (for the Library or any other website), examine the cookies you are accepting as you use the internet.
Enforcement & Redress
Beaman Library will not make library records available to any agency of state, federal, or local government unless required to do so under law or to report a suspected violation of the law. Nor will we share data on individuals with other parties including faculty, staff (including library staff except in the performance of their assigned duties), parents, students, campus security, and law enforcement personnel, except as required by law or University policy or as needed to perform our University duties.
Library staff are to refer all requests for confidential user records to the appropriate Library Director or Designate. Only the Library Director/Designate has authorization to receive and respond to requests from law enforcement or other third parties. The Director/Designate will forward all requests from law enforcement or other government officials, all requests under applicable "open records" laws, to University Counsel, and will consult with counsel regarding the proper response. Library users who have questions, concerns, or complaints about the library's handling of their personally identifiable data should file written comments with the Library Director.