Good morning
Back in October I posted a question asking for advice on if it was
against the Data Protection Act to give teachers a list of students who
had borrowed a particular book from Library. At the time I was advised
to contact the Information Commissioner for a "balanced response" which
I did and have just received the following:
20th November 2004
Dear Madam,
Thank you for your e-mail enquiry of 15 October 2004 regarding Library
information.
While I would consider it fair and reasonable, as well as within the
expectations of students for the library and librarians to know who was
borrowing the books and to contact people retaining books overlong, I
would not consider it fair and reasonable for the information to be
passed to persons outside of the library for those other persons'
purposes, whether well intended or not.
The limiting factor is really the expectations of the 'borrowers' based
on personal expectation and the information provided to them about the
uses of their data by the library. It would not be considered 'normal
practice' in my view for the information to be made more widely
available for 'chasing up' persistent borrowing of books outside of the
normal channels for doing so within the library. The Act requires
information to be processed fairly, resultantly I would consider the
disclosure your enquiry is about likely to contravene the Data
Protection Act 1998.
I hope this information and perspective is helpful to you.
Yours sincerely,
Benedict Elliott
Compliance Officer
Vivienne Towler
Librarian
Tynemouth College.
Tele: 0191 2900718
Visit our website at www.tynecoll.ac.uk
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