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Library Policy

Circulation Records:
Requests for Information (ref. to USA PATRIOT ACT, Confidentiality/Patron Privacy)

Oregon Revised Statutes (192.420) provides the public with the right to inspect public records. There are some exemptions, including circulation records, showing use of specific library material by a named person. This exemption allows a library to deny the request for information without penalty. It does not require confidentiality.

The University of Oregon Libraries' general philosophy is to protect the privacy of its readers. Library staff are not authorized to release information to the public or outside agencies without clearance from the University Counsel. If the user has signed a confidentiality waiver, his/her name may be given to another borrower who is requesting the whereabouts of a specific title.

Recent federal laws (USA Patriot Act) have given government agencies additional powers to request library circulation records. Responses to these requests are provided by library staff under the direction of the UO General Counsel.