Privacy Policy

The Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library is committed to the protection of personal privacy by keeping information confidential that identifies library users and their use of library books, materials, facilities, services, and assistance from staff.  This information is limited to that which is necessary to conduct library business. Such information includes:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone Number
  • Email address
  • Driver’s license number
  • Library card number
  • Patron photo

Policy

Most information related to patrons is kept for the purposes of circulating materials and ensuring that responsibility is attributed to the correct person when an item is borrowed.  This information is not publicly available and, beyond interactions between the library and the patron, will be shared only with third-party vendors with whom the library has contracted services necessary for conducting business and with law enforcement personnel upon valid, legal request.

Third party vendors with whom the library shares patron information are required by KRS 61.932 to provide their own security measures to protect any personal information.  Where possible, the library has informed each entity in writing that appropriate security and breach notification is required.  

Under this policy, a library user’s personal information and borrower record shall not be made available to any agency or anyone other than the individual who is the subject of the record or information, except as follows:

Library Duties:

Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library acts to limit the amount of personally identifiable information that it retains.  Some information, however, is necessarily and understandably retained for the transaction of day-to-day business. The library also occasionally conducts promotional campaigns to inform the community of our services. The library at those times use patron e-mail or postal address for the library’s internal mailing list.

Non-personal information about visits to the library’s website or use of electronic resources may be collected. This information is used by system administration and to calculate usage statistics. No personal information is connected to usage information.

Patron Permission:

Patrons may authorize another person permission to pick up holds or pay fines, approval of which is noted by staff on the patron’s account record. Allowing another person possession of a library card also indicates approval for check out or fine payments.

Lawful Requests:

The library acts in accordance with a search warrant or court order when authorized by the Library Director to federal, state, or local law relating to civil, criminal or investigative discovery procedure. The library cooperates with the authorities in resolving crimes committed against the library or on library property.

Children and Teens:

We believe that library account information of children and teens should be private and secure. Parents, guardians or custodians may request account information pertaining to children birth to 17 years old. Information will be disclosed to a parent or guardian who has their child’s library card or the child present. Staff may request proof of guardianship. If the child or library card is not present and guardianship cannot be verified, library staff will mail requested information to the address on the child’s library account.

To help us safeguard the confidentiality of your library account information, please keep your library card in a secure place at all times. If your card is lost or stolen, notify the loss immediately to either location of the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library.  Patrons should update their account if they move, change phone numbers, or change email addresses, to ensure library correspondence is directed to the correct person.

The Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library will comply with best practices established by the Department for Local Government (as required in KRS 61.932). This policy was adopted by the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library Board of Trustees and follows the opinion of the Attorney General of Kentucky (OAG 81-159, April 21, 1981) and the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association.

If you have concerns about how your information is used, please speak with us at the circulation desk or send comments through the Contact Us page of our web site.

All Previous Versions of this Policy are Void.