About Schewe Library: Confidentiality & Privacy

Policy Statement              
This policy outlines Schewe Library’s commitment to patron confidentiality and privacy.  Schewe Library is committed to protecting library users’ rights to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.

Patron Record Confidentiality                                     
Schewe Library stores patron information in our systems for the shortest amount of time necessary to complete transactions or provide service.  Patron information includes current borrowing activity, contact data, outstanding fines, and account notes. Schewe Library will not disclose patron information to third parties or law enforcement without an appropriately sanctioned court order. Additionally, Schewe Library abides by the following laws or contracts which govern the disclosure of patron and student information:

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

• The Illinois Library System Act.

• The Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) I-Share Participant Institution Agreement.

Provenance of Patron Information                             
Schewe Library's patron data is gathered from the following sources:

• The Office of the Registrar of Illinois College (for Illinois College students).

• The Office of Human Resources of Illinois College (for Illinois College faculty and staff).

• Shared CARLI patron records (for students, faculty, and staff from other CARLI institutions).

• Personal identification documents (for community borrowers).

Patron Privacy                                                                   
Schewe Library fully adheres to the principles expressed in Article III of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Code of Ethics. Additionally, Schewe Library also fully adheres to the principles expressed in the ALA's Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers. These principles guarantee that library patrons will receive the following considerations:

• Information contacts, whether reference or otherwise, will be treated with complete confidentiality.

• Patron confidences and privacy will be upheld at all times.

• Information pertaining to patrons or patron questions will only be shared with library faculty or staff.

• Library statistics (produced for program evaluation and assessment) will be disaggregated and will contain no personally identifiable information.

• Information gathered from computer or network use in the library is not administered by Schewe Library, and is subject to Illinois College's Computing Policies.