Basic Rights Policies

Glen Ellyn Public Library upholds the individual’s right of access to the reading, viewing, and listening materials of their choice, the freedom to read, view, or listen to these materials and the freedom to enjoy these basic rights in the absence of external pressure or oversight by those who would obstruct free choice.

In fulfillment of its obligation to safeguard these rights, Glen Ellyn Public Library subscribes to the following three statements: the Bill of Rights adopted by the American Library Association on June 18, 1948 (amended January 1980) (Appendix A: Library Bill of Rights) the American Library Association’s Statement of the Freedom to Read (amended June 30, 2004) (Appendix B: Freedom to Read) and the Statement of the Freedom to View (endorsed by the ALA Council January 10, 1990) (Appendix C: Freedom to View).

As a corollary to its endorsement of the freedom to read, Glen Ellyn Public Library follows State law regarding public access to its registration and circulation records. (75 ILCS 70/1 Library Records Confidentiality Act, Registration and Circulation Records – Statistical Reports) (Appendix D: Library Records Confidentiality Act).

Library cardholder registration records and the records of the circulation of materials from the library shall be confidential.

Records of library cardholders shall not be disclosed to anyone except pursuant to such process, order or subpoena as may be authorized by law. Upon receipt of such process, order or subpoena, the library shall consult its legal counsel to determine whether the process, order or subpoena is in good form and if there is a showing of good cause for its issuance.

If the process, order, or subpoena is not in proper form or if good cause has not been shown, the library shall insist that such defects be cured before any records are released.

Any threats or unauthorized demands (i.e. those not supported by a process, order, or subpoena) concerning circulation records shall be reported to the American Library Association, the Illinois Secretary of State and the Attorney General.

Any problems relating to the privacy of records which are not provided for above are to be referred to the Library Director and if the Library Director deems necessary, to the library Board.

To assist library staff in appropriately complying with the Illinois Library Records Confidentiality Act if presented with a search warrant, the library has adopted a companion Search Warrant Policy (Appendix E: Search Warrants) which is hereby incorporated into this document.

No organization, business or individual shall be permitted to solicit information directly from cardholders or staff within the library without written permission.

It is the intent of the Board of Trustees of Glen Ellyn Public Library to comply with the requirements and provisions of the Freedom of Information Act of the State of Illinois. In order to implement this law, it is necessary for the library to maintain and provide appropriate accessibility to library records covered by the law.

It will be the responsibility of the Library Director to provide for the proper administration of this policy and to develop and implement standardized procedures relating to public library records.