Introduction
The West Florida Public Libraries (“the Library”) act as the community’s independent learning center for residents of all ages who live in Escambia County. The Library strives to meet the informational, recreational and educational needs of the community by providing free access to reading, audio-visual materials, and serving as an information portal offering public computing, database and internet access technology.
In accordance with federal and state law and customary library procedure, it is the Library’s policy neither to collect nor to disclose personal information about any patron, (1) unless they or their guardian, natural or duly appointed, choose to make such information available to the Library or (2) pursuant to any process, order or subpoena authorized under the authority of and in accord with federal, state, or local law relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discovery procedures or legislative investigative power.
Privacy of Each Patron’s Record
The Library considers individual control of a patron’s card to be the most effective protection of privacy of the patron. How each patron chooses to use and share their card determines the degree of privacy the Library will provide for that patron’s record.
To support this choice, the Library provides access to information associated with a valid library card under the following circumstances:
Notice:
Florida Law provides that:
FL Stat. §257.261 (“Library Registration and Circulation Records”).
Under Florida’s Open Records Law [FL Stat. §§119.01(1) and 119.011(12)], e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to the Library. Instead, contact the Library by phone or in writing.