Demarest Public Library makes every effort to protect the privacy of Library patrons who use Library materials and resources, the Library website, and/or the online catalog. In accordance with New Jersey state law, the Library maintains the confidentiality of all personal information that it collects. Demarest Public Library staff will not respond to any informal request by a third party for personally identifiable information about any Library user. Such information includes circulation records, payment records, interlibrary loan records, and other personally identifiable uses of Library materials, facilities, or services.
Personally identifiable information may be released only to a law enforcement agency after presentation of a court issued subpoena or search warrant and/or under the provisions of the USA Patriot Act.
N.J.S.A. 18A:73-43.2. Confidentiality of Library Users’ Records
Library records which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of libraries are confidential and shall not be disclosed except in the following circumstances:
- The records are necessary for the proper operation of the Library;
- disclosure is requested by the user; or
- disclosure is required pursuant to a subpoena issued by a court or court order.
L.1985, c. 172, s.2. eff. May 31, 1985.
Personally Identifiable Information
The Demarest Free Public Library will collect the information needed to contact Library users, such as mailing address, email address, phone number, etc., in order to ensure the proper notification, lending, and return of Library materials and the collection of fines. Records will be retained for the shortest length of time necessary to facilitate Library operations. Paper records with identifying information shall be shredded when no longer needed.
Individuals may submit their name, email address, mailing address, telephone number, library card number, or other identifying information in order to receive Library services such as receiving personal responses to questions, receiving Library promotional materials, registering for Library programs or classes, making remote use from outside the Library of those portions of the Library’s website restricted to registered borrowers under license agreements or other special arrangements, or being added to specific mailing lists.
The Library does not sell, rent or otherwise distribute information to outside parties. However, library records may be subject to disclosure to law enforcement officials under provisions of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) and, under some circumstances, librarians may be forbidden to disclose the fact that certain records have been requested or obtained.
Any requests for information received by the Library will be kept for the shortest amount of time necessary to fulfill the request. This information may be anonymized for training and statistical purposes. The questions themselves and any personal information such as names, email addresses, telephone and fax numbers submitted with the questions are confidential and are treated as other Library user information under provisions of the “Confidentiality of Library Users’ Records” statute above N.J.S.A. 18A:73-43.2 The Library complies with the New Jersey Division of Archives & Records Management (NJDARM) in accordance with maintaining, retaining and destroying public and confidential information.
Remote Access to Electronic Resources and Web Server Usage Tracking
The Library tracks the usage of the Library website and other Library systems and services accessed through the Library website.
The Library uses information only as anonymous aggregate data to determine the number of visitors to different sections of our websites and to help us make our websites more useful. The Library does not use the information to track or record information about individuals.
Online Databases, Library Notifications and Third-Party Partners
The Library has teamed up with reputable third-party vendors in order to provide certain services to its online users. The vendors of some of these databases collect usage statistics, which they provide to the Library. The New Jersey Confidentiality statute, N.J.S.A. 18A:73-43.2. may not apply to these third-party vendors. In cases when users leave the Library’s site to visit one of its partners’ sites, users are encouraged to become familiar with the privacy statements of each site they visit.
Library Online Catalog
BCCLS automatically collects and stores statistics about the patron’s online catalog usage such as patron log-in totals, number of hold requests placed, and number of renewals. Patron names are not collected.
Patron Borrowing Records
The Library does not maintain records of what individuals have borrowed and returned in the past, except when overdue fines, and/or charges for lost materials have accrued or have been paid. All information about the individual cardholder is confidential except for notification and collection of overdue materials.
Patrons may choose to turn on the “Maintain reading list” feature through the online catalog, which will store the titles they borrow. This feature and the information stored is for the patron’s use only and shall not be activated or examined by Library staff.
Public Computers, WiFi Network, and Printing
Public Computers
Cookies are small text files placed on user computers by a Web site to enable customization of individual visits. Some Library electronic services, such as the BCCLS catalog and remote databases, set temporary cookies for current sessions. These cookies do not capture personal information and are deleted when sessions are ended. Visitors can refuse the cookie by using instructions provided in browsers. Refusing or disabling cookies may result in an inability to access some library services from computers within the Library. Any use of public computers/ internet activity that violates local, state, or federal laws is prohibited, including copyright infringement, hacking, harassment, phishing and viewing pornography.
The Library does not use cookies or tracking mechanisms that collect personally identifying information on its demarestlibrary.org site or in its online catalog. The Library also deletes Web browsing history, cached files, or other computer and Internet use records and other software code that is placed on our public workstations or networks at the end of each day.
WiFi
WiFi access is granted using the least amount of information necessary to provide internet service to the customer. Any personally identifiable information is anonymized and used only for usage statistic purposes. Internet access is free and open to the public.
Printing
Documents are only printed once the staff member at the circulation desk releases the print job. The contents of documents cannot be viewed by staff while in the queue. Any documents not printed by the end of the day are automatically removed from the print queue system.
Security of Library Records
BCCLS maintains the Library’s primary computer network and the Integrated Library System on which patron records are stored. BCCLS makes every reasonable effort to protect its network from hackers. Any electronic communication that customers send to the Library is not necessarily secure against interception.
Regardless of how the information is received, the Library does not retain sensitive information longer than is necessary to complete the related transaction.
Procedures for Handling Requests for Library Records
Library staff who are approached by a law enforcement officer or agent with any request or court order to examine or obtain the library records of any library user will ask for identification and direct the officer or agent to the Library Director or other designated person in charge. The Library Director or the designated person in charge will review the request or subpoena and may seek the advice of the Library Attorney.
Adopted by the Demarest Library Board of Trustees July 20, 2022.