Re: Patron privacy

John Streepy (John.Streepy@cwu.EDU)
Tue, 28 Jan 2003 14:24:01 -0800 (PST)

Library privacy is library privacy, it should not matter if your library
circulates books, videos or widgets, or whether you are academic,
instructional or public. I have run into this as I am educating our
patrons that the media circulation department is part of the library and
follows library policies

What you do at your library is nearly exactly what we do at ours. We
may tell instructor B to check around their department, but we never
tell one professor that another professor has the video they want or
need. I do not think you are being too rigid about this, but are doing
the only thing you can.
John

John H. Streepy
Media Assistant III
Library-Media Circulation
Central Washington University Library
400 E. 8th AVE
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548

(509) 963-2861
http://www.lib.cwu.edu/media

>>> gfedak@mtsu.edu 01/28/03 01:46PM >>>
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I would like to find out if our privacy policy is appropriate or if we
=
are being unnecessarily cautious. When a video is checked out to =
Instructor A, and Instructor B comes to check out the same video while
=
Instructor A has it, we do not tell Instructor B who has it. Because =
both instructors are probably using the same video in each of their =
classes, although not necessarily on the same day at the same hour, we
=
will call Instructor A to ask if s/he can return the program early so
=
Instructor B can also use it. This works well for us 99% of the time.
=
Also, most instructors know that they can reserve videos to assure
their =
availability at a given time. Today I had an "Instructor B" who was
more =
than a little aggravated that we had checked out "his" video (one he =
requested we purchase years ago) to an "Instructor A" and would not
tell =
him who has it. We have been trying to contact "Instructor A" for =
several days (he's an adjunct, so is difficult to contact), but to no
=
avail. Instructor B challenged our privacy policy and inquired if the
=
"library privacy act" applied to academic media libraries. I said that
=
it did, but would ask other academic media libraries about their
privacy =
policies. Are we being too rigid about who knows what someone else has
=
checked out?=20
Thanks in advance for your input.
Gail B. Fedak
Manager, Instructional Media Resources
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
phone 615-898-2740
fax 615-898-2530
email gfedak@mtsu.edu
=20

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I would like to find out if our privacy = policy is=20 appropriate or if we are being unnecessarily cautious. When a video is = checked=20 out to Instructor A, and Instructor B comes to check out the=20 same video while Instructor A has it, we do not = tell Instructor B=20 who has it. Because both instructors are probably using the same video = in each=20 of their classes, although not necessarily on the same day at the = same=20 hour, we will call Instructor A to ask if s/he can return = the=20 program early so Instructor B can also use it. This works well for us = 99% of the=20 time. Also, most instructors know that they can reserve videos to assure = their=20 availability at a given time. Today I had an "Instructor B" who was = more=20 than a little aggravated that we had checked out "his" video (one he = requested=20 we purchase years ago) to an "Instructor A" and would not tell him = who has=20 it. We have been trying to contact "Instructor A" for several days = (he's an=20 adjunct, so is difficult to contact), but to no avail. Instructor B = challenged our privacy policy and inquired if the "library privacy act" = applied=20 to academic media libraries. I said that it did, but would ask = other academic media libraries about their privacy policies. Are we = being=20 too rigid about who knows what someone else has checked out?=20
Thanks in advance for your = input.
Gail B. Fedak
Manager, Instructional = Media=20 Resources
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN  = 37132
phone 615-898-2740
fax 615-898-2530
email gfedak@mtsu.edu
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