Book Companion:

Library and Information Center Management,
Seventh Edition

An Invasion Of Privacy

A knock on his office door interrupted Lionel Froy, director of the Penderal Public Library, as he tapped away at his keyboard. "Come in!" he called out.

"Got a few minutes?" the assistant director, Penelope Lina, said, making her way over to his desk. "There's a problem with our new Young Adult Services Librarian. She's very upset."

Froy shot a quizzical glance at his assistant. "Tell me why," he said. Did Lina's voice sound strained? he wondered

Before speaking, Lina passed over a copy of the library's policy explaining loans, overdues and fines. She had highlighted certain portions that were pertinent to the reason for her visit, viz, that "children and young adults are asked to have a parent sign their application, and that they and the responsible adults are liable for obligations attached to the cards," that "the cutoff age between adults and young people is fourteen," that "overdue notices are sent to the client after an item is one week overdue," that "if the item is not returned after six weeks the cost of the item is added to the accumulated fines and the total is billed to the client, or the client's parents if the client is under fourteen," and that "after sixteen weeks the library refers open accounts to a collection agency." She then handed Froy the library's overdue postcard which read, "May we remind you that the following item(s) are now overdue at the Penderal Public Library."

The director's eyes flickered back and forth over the policy statements and the overdue card, then looking up he said: "And what's our new YA librarian's problem?" He had difficulty imagining there could be a problem, because fresh out of library school Gloria Reznikoff seemed to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the youth of Penderal. Energetic, bright, enthusiastic, in two months she had accomplished miracles. Young people who had been shunning the library as a place that had little to interest them started frequenting it in droves - and she was very popular with everyone on the staff as well. Or so he thought. Trouble slithering underfoot? He settled back to listen.

Gruffly Lina cleared her throat and spoke with acid succinctness. She and Gloria had had words - unpleasant words - over the appropriateness of addressing the second overdue notice with the cost of the item and the accumulated fines to a young adult's parent because then the parent would know what the young person had checked out the library - and that meant his or her right to privacy was compromised.

Lina drew a deep breath, then expelled it before she went on. "Really, Lionel, we've been following this policy for years with no one complaint, but suddenly appears this recent grad filled with thoughts she picked up in some courses at her library school and now wants us to put in an intermediate step between the first notice to the young person and the second bill/notice to the parent. This intermediate notice would be sent out two weeks after the first postcard and would merely tell the parent that his/her son/daughter had some materials overdue, without listing them, and would ask their cooperation in getting them back. The bill/notice to the parent would not give the titles, only the amount. Ditto with the collection agency. And - get this! - she thinks we shouldn't use postcards but put our notices in sealed envelopes. Anyone can see what other family members are reading and this too is an invasion of their right to privacy protected by the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statements. I told Gloria this was carrying 'principles' to a ridiculous extreme. If a thing's not broken I said, why fix it? Gloria said I wasn't being true to my professional obligation to protect a person's right to privacy. We had a very unpleasant exchange. I wanted to warn you that she and our children's librarian are planning to come to see you. She's won Leslie to the cause! They want to speak to you without me present…Will you see them?"

Chin on hand, Froy drummed his fingers on the desk. He was thinking.

Written by Dr. A. J. Anderson, Professor Emeritus, GSLIS, Simmons College