Library confidentiality bill gets favorable committee vote–now it's on to the Senate

On Friday, Feb. 15, the Vermont Senate Government Operations Committee voted in favor of S. 220, “An Act Relating to the Confidentiality of Library Patron Records.”  The bill now goes to the full Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 19.  VLA members are encouraged to call or send e-mail messages to their senators asking them to support the bill.  S. 220 is quite similar to our proposed bill, except that the committee amended it to allow parental/guardian access to the records of children under 16–even for materials that are not overdue.  FYI, here’s the VLA statement explaining the importance of confidentiality for minors:  Statement on the importance of protecting the confidentiality of minors