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GENERAL INFORMATION

Governance and Policies


Library Policies


POLICY ON CONFIDENTIALITY OF LIBRARY RECORDS WITH PROCEDURES


A. State Law

The Board of Trustees of the Ipswich Public Library recognizes that Massachusetts law mandates that certain records and information are confidential.

The Board has directed the Library Director to periodically advise members of the staff of the content and purpose of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 78, Section 7, which reads in part:

“That part of the records of a public library which reveals the identity and intellectual pursuits of a person using such library shall not be a public record…”

Members of the staff shall be instructed to immediately refer any inquiry regarding the intellectual pursuits, borrowings, use of electronic resources, or materials usage of patrons to the library privacy contact, who shall explain to the party making the inquiry the library’s confidentiality policy and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts confidentiality law. Staff shall not disclose patron information.

If an inquiry for patron information comes from a law enforcement agent or officer, the library privacy contact shall ask for a warrant or subpoena and inform the agent or officer that users’ records are not available absent presentation of such documents. The library privacy contact shall immediately refer any request involving judicial action to Town Counsel. The library privacy contact is the Library Director, or the Library Assistant Director in the absence of the Library Director. All requests for confidential patron information, search warrants or subpoenas must be referred to the library’s designated privacy contact.

B. Federal Law

Whereas a subpoena or a search warrant under the USA Patriot Act (P.L.107‐56) suspends state statutes, confidential patron information will be turned over to federal law enforcement officers if such documents are presented. Library staff shall not honor requests from federal law enforcement officers unless a subpoena or search warrant is presented pursuant thereto:
  1. Any staff member approached by a federal officer with a search warrant shall immediately contact the library privacy contact, but in no way shall staff interfere with the execution of the warrant.
  2. The library privacy contact shall ask to see positive identification from the federal officer(s) and shall photocopy this identification.
  3. The library privacy contact shall contact Town Counsel immediately upon receipt of a subpoena. Town Counsel has the right to review all subpoenas. Furthermore, the library privacy contact will ask Counsel to be present during the execution of a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) search warrant.
  4. The library privacy contact shall keep a record of all legal requests and of the cost associated with compliance with such requests.
  5. The library privacy contact shall cooperate with law enforcement personnel and shall be present during the execution of a search to ensure that only records identified in the warrant or subpoena are viewed or scanned.

Attached: Retention Policies for Ipswich Public Library Records

Approved by the Ipswich Public Library Board of Trustees on May 19, 2003
 

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

 

The Library will be closed on these days in observance of Memorial Day:

 

  • Sunday, May 27th
  • Monday, May 28th 

 

 

 

 




LIBRARY HOURS

Monday9-8
Tuesday9-8
Wednesday9-8
Thursday9-5
Friday9-5
Saturday9-4
Sunday1-4
Summer: closed Sat & Sun

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25 North Main Street
Ipswich, MA 01938-2287

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Ipswich Public Library  .  25 North Main Street  .  Ipswich, MA 01938  .  978.356.6648  .  Fax 978.356.6647  .  ipswich@mvlc.org

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