Patron Privacy and Confidentiality

Policy Statement

Sterling Municipal Library and the Baytown Library Board are committed to protecting the privacy of all library users and support the library privacy provisions under the Texas Open Records Act. In accordance with Section 552.124 of the Texas Government Code, the Sterling Municipal Library will not release any information about a borrower including name, Identification number, or any checkout information except as required by Homeland Security. Staff members and volunteers protect information about library borrowers, their requests for information and materials, the online sites and resources they access, and their loan transactions.  Such information will not be transmitted to individuals or to any private or public agency without an order from a court of competent jurisdiction, or as otherwise required by law.

Rules:

A borrower may allow a party to act on his/her behalf by sending his/her library card with another party.

Any patron requesting a list of items checked out by telephone on a specific card must use the barcode number or the alternative ID number (Driver’s License, State ID, etc) attached to the card.  Staff will not give out any specific materials information without the barcode.  They may give out the date due and the number of items only.

The parent or guardian who signed the child’s library card application may check on a juvenile record with appropriate identification attached to the card or with the child’s specific borrower’s card in hand.  Spouses, siblings and other relatives may not check on each other’s record without that specific borrower’s card in hand.

The Information We Collect

The personal information collected is only that which is necessary for managing library accounts.  We do not share information collected with outside parties unless required by law.