An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Confidentiality of Library Records

Sec. 1. 27 MRSA §121,  as amended by PL 2013, c. 82, §12, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§ 121.  Confidentiality of library records

summary

Current law designates as confidential library records that identify the books or materials a patron uses at a public library, the Maine State Library, the Law and Legislative Reference Library and the libraries of the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy. This bill retains that designation of confidentiality and also designates as confidential personally identifying information about the library patron. The bill also retains the provision that the confidential information may be released with the written permission of the library patron or pursuant to a court order but adds language permitting the confidential information to be released to officers, employees, volunteers and agents of the library for administrative purposes. The bill clarifies that a library may publish and release as a public record aggregated and statistical information about library use if the confidentiality of a library patron's personally identifying information is not jeopardized.