2502 NYCC TRANS FINAL2 - New York Chiropractic College

y Daniel Kanaley, Library Director
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LIBRARY RECORDS AND PRIVACY
POOL
In the aftermath of the September
11 th tragedy, there is a
heightened awareness regarding
security. Public and academic libraries
have traditionally served
as repositories of information
accessible by virtually anyone.
You may be surprised to learn
that use of library resources carries
with it certain privacy rights.
Since free access to information
has long been a cherished
American exercise, an associated
right to privacy regarding one’s
access to information has
evolved. It is felt that were others
to be able to discover people’s
reading choices, the reading public
would be guarded about the
kinds of books and information
they would access. This runs
counter to free flow of information
encouraged in a free society.
So, when should a librarian divulge
this information? To
whom and under what circumstances?
If a person is suspected
of planning to engage in some
Daniel Kanaley, M.A., M.L.S., Library Director
kind of harmful or illegal act, can
an individual’s library records be
obtained by authorities?
In 1988 an amendment was
passed in New York State that
strengthened the existing library
privacy law (section 4509 of the
New York State Civil Practice
Law and Rules). The amended
law denies access to records related
to the circulation of library
materials, computer database
searches, interlibrary loan transactions,
reference queries, requests
for photocopies of library
materials, title reserve requests, or
the use of audio-visual materials,
films or records unless a subpoena
or court order requires
such disclosure. The result balances
American citizens’ rights of
confidentiality and privacy
against society’s need to monitor
the activities of people who may
contemplate illegal acts.
Where no suspicion has been
aroused, is society adequately
protected from people’s potentially
harmful acts – especially
where library access provides
those people with the means to
carry out the harmful acts? For
example, a medical staff member
may learn within a library
how much of a drug will result
in an overdose. But, knowledge
that enables an illegal act to be
carried out does not ensure the
act’s fruition. To date, people in
this country are not arrested
merely for possessing the capacity
to perform illegal acts; hence,
the delicate struggle between library
privacy rights and the need
for a society to remain secure.
Matthew T. Stimpson, who
recently arrived upstate from
North Carolina, is serving as
NYCC’s new registrar. His
fiancée, Rachael Lee, works
nearby as assistant director of
student life and leadership at
Hobart and William Smith
Colleges in Geneva, NY. A
recent graduate of the
University of North Carolina-
New Registrar Settles in at NYCC
Greensboro with a master’s
degree in Higher Education,
Matthew is enthusiastic about his
new position. Though Upstate
New York’s environment is
different from the southern one
he left behind, he describes his
new neighbors as genuine and
friendly. Matthew feels that
NYCC is fundamentally like
other institutions of higher
education whose established
departments carry out assigned
roles associated with records,
financial aid, academics, career
counseling, accrediting, and
student services. Matthew is
excited about being a part of the
chiropractic profession’s continued
growth as well as its
collaboration and integration
with other health-care offerings.
Matthew Stimpson, Registrar
www.nycc.edu
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