Patron Privacy Policy

The Wichita Falls Public Library supports the American Library Association Freedom to Read statement and the library privacy provisions under the Texas Open Records Act. Library users should be able to pursue informational and recreational reading in the secure knowledge that no third person has access to their library records without proper observance of due process of law. To support this philosophy and legal status the following rules must be observed:

No personal information concerning a cardholder may be given to ANY OTHER PERSON without a subpoena from a duly authorized judge.
No information concerning materials borrowed by a cardholder may be given to any third person without a subpoena from a duly authorized judge. **Exception may be made for guarantor of a juvenile card with proper identification.
Any patron requesting by telephone a list of items checked out on a specific card must use the barcode number. Staff will not give out any specific materials information without the barcode; they may give out the date due and the number of items only.
While the guarantor of record may check on a juvenile record (with proper identification or with borrower’s card in hand), spouses, siblings and other relatives may not check on each other’s record without that specific borrower’s card in hand.
Staff will refer all requests for personal or usage information regarding any cardholder, including subpoenas, to the Library Administrator. In case of an expected extended absence of the Administrator, the request shall be referred to an Assistant Administrator.
All subpoenas shall be photocopied, one copy shall be forwarded to the City Legal Department for comment, one copy shall be forwarded to the Assistant City Manger, and one copy shall be kept on file, marked with date received, note of disposition and date of disposition. At no time shall information be immediately dispensed without first notifying the City Legal Department and receiving instruction as to City preference in procedure.
In the case of uncertainty or seeming conflict of instruction, opinion shall be sought from the Office of the State Attorney General to assure compliance with Texas Privacy Act.
Personal and usage information shall be forwarded as necessary to the City Prosecuting Attorney to support issuance of “unlawfully detained materials” citations as per City Ordinance 11-93.

**Staff may not at any time identify any person as a Library cardholder to any other person.