ALSO. HEADS UP TO ANYONE WHO IS CAUTIOUS. One of the biggest, most hardcore rules circulation people have/know is that freaking no one has access to your checkout record. When it’s checked out on your record, YOU are the only one who has access to that info outside of circ staff. In most libraries (barring teensy sizes), even reference staff can’t access your record unless you give them login information. Additionally, once you check something back in (return it), most (if not all) library circulation software completely removes title/author data from your record. It just lists a statistic that ~something~ has been checked out, and not what.
There can be SLIGHTLY different rules regarding people with “children’s” accounts (ask your local circ desk!), but generally if you’re over the age of 13, those rules don’t apply.
THAT SAID. Please double check this info! One of the reasons I lost my damn mind at the Chicago Public Library earlier last year, when they redid their webpage and implemented/integrated with BiblioCommons as a third-party software management company. Initially, there was no opt-out policy included and they didn’t include access to their legacy website/catalog system and this was a really bad thing because as per their privacy statement (which was only posted after I made several angry calls and sent a few letters, and I’m not saying I made the difference, but righteous rage and cited policy of other websites (NYPL) tend to stick in the mind), BiblioCommons - as a third party institution - could and would collect personal information if you registered with their service to ‘make your library experience easier’. SOMETIMES EASIER DOESN’T MEAN BETTER. Especially if the only ‘easier’ is that you don’t have to remember your damn library card number and a pin/password you make up.
Because the #1 thing that made me go :| about BiblioCommons becoming A Thing is that, as a third-party service provider, they explicitly state IN THEIR PRIVACY STATEMENT that they will collect data on who you are, what you check out, when you do it, and the volume of genre you circulate.
So! DOUBLE CHECK with your public library a couple things.
1. If you are under the age of 18, what is the circ policy on accessing your record. (Ask the circ person.) If you’re all “If someone calls to renew how do you verify it’s me?” and the person is all “We just need your name!” CAUTION. But if they’re all “Library card # or nothing.” be cheerful. Other questions to ask is “Do you match face to name if someone comes to renew in person?” and their answer is “Oh, nah! You can send that with Person X!” CAUTION. Most places I’ve been to demand face to name, and that’s actually important!
2. If you use online resources/content, is there a third-party company that you have to ‘register’ with to use the online databases/catalog. (Ask the circ or reference person.) Generally, if all you need to login to the catalog is your library card # and a password, you’re fine. If you have a “register with a username!” DANGER SIGNS.
Anyway, for the most part, libraries are pretty big on privacy and access of personal information, but these are a couple things to look for if you’re wanting to keep your reading/education/mental health research private.
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