Attorney General's opinion and other new statute guidelines.(revised)
What follows is the gist of the Attorney General’s opinion on the new confidentiality statute.
- Public libraries must keep records of patrons 16 or older confidential unless the patron waives that right.
- Public libraries have “limited discretion” expanding the scope of confidentiality of library records. The opinion says they must disclose the records of patrons under 16 if requested by parents.
New Confidentiality Statute
Librarians have many questions about the new Confidentiality Statute that becomes effective July 1, 2008.
State Librarian, Sybil McShane asked the Attorney General to review the law in reference to existing statutes and in consideration of some of the questions we have. Once the AG’s office has reported back we will provide more specific guidelines for implementation to all VLA members, VT Libraries and Trustees. VLAIFC will offer policy writing workshops throughout the state for the above mentioned groups in the near future.
An updated sample public library privacy and confidentiality policy is available on the website as part of the Intellectual Freedom Toolkit. It can also be found at www.sherburnelibrary.org.
Keep watching the VLA website for more information.
Gail Weymouth
VLAIFC chair
802 422 9765
College & Special Libraries Wiki
Check here for resources, news, and events relating to Vermont’s special and academic libraries:Â C&SL Wiki
College & Special Libraries Wiki
Check here for resources, news, and events relating to Vermont’s special and academic libraries:Â C&SL Wiki
Reference Roundtable at St. Michael’s College
Date: Wednesday, August 20, from 1-4 pm
Location: Durick Library at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester.
The topic is Innovations in Reference service and in Promotion of reference service in light of the national trend of declining reference statistics
RSVP to Michele McCaffrey by August 1. More details to come as well as parking information, directions, etc.
Michele R. McCaffrey
Reference & Instruction Librarian/Reference Coordinator
Durick Library, St. Michael’s College
Box L, One Winooski Park
Colchester, VT 05439
mmccaffrey@smcvt.edu
802-654-2411
Reference Roundtable at St. Michael's College
Date: Wednesday, August 20, from 1-4 pm
Location: Durick Library at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester.
The topic is Innovations in Reference service and in Promotion of reference service in light of the national trend of declining reference statistics
RSVP to Michele McCaffrey by August 1. More details to come as well as parking information, directions, etc.
Michele R. McCaffrey
Reference & Instruction Librarian/Reference Coordinator
Durick Library, St. Michael’s College
Box L, One Winooski Park
Colchester, VT 05439
mmccaffrey@smcvt.edu
802-654-2411
Martha Reid Appointed New State Librarian
Secretary of Administration Mike Smith announced that Martha Reid of South Burlington has accepted the position of State Librarian. A copy of the press release may be found here:
http://www.libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/misc/appt.pdf
New librarians in Vermont public libraries
New public librarians in the last few months include the following. Send your public library additions to the list for a routine posting to Amy Howlett, amy.howlett@mail.dol.state.vt.us
Mary Wheeler, Cutler Memorial Library, Plainfield
Susan Smolinski, Arvin A. Brown Public library, Richford
Mary Moser Kashner, Pawlet Public Library
Thelma Georgeson, R. K. Kittay Public Library,Rupert
Michelle Hayes, children’s librarian,Whiting Library, Chester
Jane Napier, children’s librarian, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier
Célina Houlné, director, Rockingham Free Public Library, Bellows Falls
Melissa Worden, Lydia Taft Pratt Library, Dummers
Conference: Genealogy and Local History for All
“Genealogy and Local History for All: Services to Multicultural Communities” will take place in Ottawa, Ontario on August 6 and 7 at Library and Archives Canada, and will include tours of the Canadian Genealogy Centre and Gatineau Preservation Centre. For full details, please see the conference website at http://www3.telus.net/public/cv910081/GenLoc
Jane Austen Vermont Chapter Meeting
The next JASNA-Vermont Chapter meeting on June 22… any questions, or you would like a copy of the complete flyer for posting in your library, please email Kelly McDonald at jasna-vt@hotmail.com. We have also started a blog for the chapter and invite you to visit! [it is just in its infancy with lots more to add, so come back often…] http://janeausteninvermont