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Tooele library board adopts privacy, internet, lost-and-found and standards-of-conduct policies
Summary
The board approved a new privacy policy and updates to the internet access, lost-and-found and standards-of-conduct policies to meet state requirements and clarify procedures; approvals were unanimous by voice vote.
The Tooele City Public Library Board approved a new patron privacy policy and updates to the library’s internet access and computer use policy, lost-and-found policy and standards-of-conduct policy during the meeting. All motions were approved by voice vote with no nays recorded.
Director Chase Randall introduced a new privacy policy and read sections of the draft to the board. The policy, he said, is intended to codify existing practice and ensure compliance with state requirements. "The Tooele City Public Library is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patron records," Randall read. The draft cites the U.S. Constitution and the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and references Tooele City ordinance 11-23. Randall said the city attorney and the city IT director reviewed the draft before it was presented to the board.
Key points of the adopted privacy policy include that library patron records identified as private under GRAMA may only be released pursuant to court order, subpoena or as required by law, and that the library does not "sell, lease, or otherwise distribute or disclose patron information to outside parties." The policy also describes collection of non-personal website data and the library’s use of cookies and log files for site administration and analytics.
The board also approved changes to the Internet access and computer use policy to include a required sentence certifying compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). A second change requested by the city attorney added a statement that library employees will not assist patrons under age 13 in setting up accounts that involve two‑way communication, which the director said supports the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The lost-and-found policy was amended to explicitly list "disposable beverage containers" among items that will be disposed of immediately; the change was intended to avoid confusion about tumblers and reusable bottles.
The standards-of-conduct policy additions include a prohibition on making misrepresentations or providing false information to the library (for example about age or address) and an updated appeals process for expulsions or access revocations. The policy now states an appeal must be filed in writing to the library director, the director may investigate and will issue a written determination mailed to the address in library records within a "reasonable period of time," only one appeal may be filed per calendar year and appeals may be considered only after six months have passed since the expulsion.
"The city attorney has reviewed it," Randall said when asked about legal review. He also told the board the policy drafts codify practices that are already in place and were prepared with input from city staff.
Motions to adopt each policy were made and seconded on the record; the board voted by voice on each item and the chair declared the motions carried with unanimous "ayes." The minutes record the motions and voice votes but do not contain a roll-call tally for those actions.
