FL Parents Gain Access to Library Records

Mike Knievel, Volusia County Library director, supports the new proposal and says it clarifies the existing statute on confidentiality by making a distinction between the records of adults and those of children. Kneivel says his system has received "scores of complaints" from parents who have tried to access their children's records in order to resolve fines. The Florida Library Association (FLA) has formally backed the measure.

"If parents are going to have to lay out the money for the fine, they should have the opportunity to know what the book is so they can find the book," says State Senator Evelyn Lynn (R-Ormond Beach).

Opponents of the new law fear that opening library records threatens intellectual freedom, especially when many young people seek information on sensitive topics—such as pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases— that they wouldn't want their parents to know about. But Knievel says the proposal is so narrowly defined that parents would have access only for the specific purpose of recovering lost materials or fines. "Parents can't use the law to make a judgment about the content of the borrowing," he says.