The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County considers all patron records, including but not limited to, registration information and use information in the form of circulation records, database search records, computer use records, inter-library loan records or reference records, to be confidential. We will not distribute or disclose this information to outside parties unless required to do so by State or Federal laws or pursuant to a patron’s consent as outlined below:
- To a law enforcement officer or authorized agent of the court with appropriate ID:
- presenting a written request for Library records in proper legal form
- acting in the scope of the Officer’s law enforcement duties investigating a matter involving public safety in exigent circumstances, or
- responding to the Library’s request for help in maintaining its collections.
- To a Library approved recovery agent for the collection of fines, fees, and non-returned Library materials.
- To a Library cardholder requesting information on his/her own account, or to the parent or guardian of a minor child requesting information on their child’s account.
Library Patron records may be used internally for administrative purposes including, but not limited to:
- The establishment and maintenance of a system to manage Library records
- The transfer of library records from one records management system to another
- The compilation of statistics and the collection of fines, fees and non-returned Library materials.