The privacy of our patrons is always paramount in libraries of all types! The information and materials our patrons want from us is their business, and theirs alone.

So, as libraries start to add in-person services, and consider whether to implement some heath screens of patrons as they enter a building, we are sharing some of the ideas from this article with you.

You can click here to get the entire article!

“What will your public library do when you reopen your doors? Some libraries are exploring phased reopening, starting with curbside or no-contact service outside the physical building. Others are investigating what reopening the physical building to library users will look like in terms of social distancing, increased cleaning and sanitation, and limiting the number of users in the building at one time.

One library went one step further, though. Last week, The Seattle Public Library reopened five branches to provide restrooms for those who otherwise would not have regular access to clean restrooms. In a statement about the reopening, the City of Seattle’s Office of the Mayor listed the precautions library staff are taking to protect staff and library users:

To help prevent further spread of COVID-19, Library branches will employ social distancing protocols, ask patrons to complete a brief COVID-19 health screener prior to entering the building, and will limit the number of individuals permitted in the building for restroom use at a time. [emphasis mine]

While health screenings are used in other areas, such as employees returning to work, its use in a library to determine which library users can access the building brings up questions regarding user health data in the library and what libraries must think about when considering going down this path.”

• HIPPA, User Health Data, and Libraries
• User Health Data Risks and Considerations

“Overall, libraries deploying health screener forms to library users adds considerable risk to both libraries and users in terms of privacy, equable service, and liability. Many libraries are not bound to HIPAA regulations in protecting user data which means data privacy and security varies widely, dependent on library resources and legal regulations specific to their location. As of now many libraries are not in a position to ramp up their data security and privacy protections given limited time and resources that were spent on setting up a (hopefully secure) way for library workers to work from home as well as offer remote services to library users.”