In accordance with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. §13.40) all the information you give the Library is classified as "private" information. Only your name is public information. The Library cannot give any private information about you or your library account to anyone outside the public library system without your written permission, a court order or as otherwise authorized by law. You have access to all the information in your library account.
In order to give you a library card, Washington County Library must ask you to give us certain private information. The Library retains this information in order to keep track of library materials and conduct other library business.
If you choose not to provide this information, we cannot give you a library card.
The Library can share this information with other public libraries in order to conduct regular library business; however, these libraries are also subject to the same restrictions on sharing private information.
If you are under the age of 18, private information in your library account can be shared with your parents or guardians unless you have requested that information in your library account be withheld from them and that request has been approved. You may make such a request of the County Attorney who will approve a request after determining that it is in your best interest. You must make this request in writing. The form is available at any Washington County Branch Library.
Minnesota statutes (Minn. Stat. §13.40, subd. 2b) allow the Library to release requested materials to another person who resides at the same address as the person making the request. However, you may request that materials not be released to anyone other than yourself.
