Helen Adams, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, coauthor with Bob Bocher, Carol A. Gordon and Liza Barry-Kessler of Privacy in the 21st Century: Issues for Public, School, and Academic Libraries (hot off the press), explains why post-secondary librarians argue that FERPA protects library records while school librarians argue that FERPA does not even cover library records. Both sets of librarians want privacy for their users, but come to opposite interpretations of FERPA.
Here is Helen's blog post, written for LibraryLaw Blog:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 has protected the confidentiality of student “education records” in K-12 and post-secondary schools in any school receiving federal funds for over twenty years. It gives parents the right to inspect and review the minor student’s education records and request changes where inaccuracies are found.. While the application of the law to various situations has continued to evolve through case law, one area critical to student privacy remains unclear. Are K-12 school library records considered “education records,” and do they fall under the jurisdiction of FERPA? Library records are not specifically listed either in the definition of “education records” within the law or its explanatory materials.
Why does it matter whether K-12 library records are “education records”? If library records are “education records” under FERPA, parents and/or guardians will have access to the library records of minor children through the age of 17. Confidentiality of library use records is fundamental to free and open inquiry for young children, preteens, and teenagers in school library media programs and part of the intellectual freedom of all patrons including youth. The library community has a strong commitment to providing and protecting the privacy of students using school libraries. This commitment is evident in ALA and AASL policy statements including the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association that states: "III. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.” The American Association of School Librarians’ Position Statement on the Confidentiality of Library Records further affirms “The library community recognizes that children and youth have the same rights to privacy as adults.”
In some states, the privacy of minors is already compromised by requirements under state laws relating to the confidentiality of library records. The states currently allowing parents or guardians to legally access library records of minor children include Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. There appears to be a trend toward changing state library records laws to give parents and/or guardians access to the library records of their minor children.
It is ironic that while school librarians would prefer to interpret K-12 school library records are not being education records under FERPA, librarians in post-secondary libraries prefer the opposite. Most post-secondary students are eighteen years old and no longer minors. At age eighteen, the right of review of the education records under FERPA passes to the “adult” student, and the library records would be kept confidential for the student.
Not having a clear determination on the ambiguous legal definition of “education records” in FERPA leaves school librarians at a disadvantage in protecting the privacy of their minor student patrons. While the political climate is not right now for mounting an effort to revise either the legislation or its rules, let’s begin to discuss the best way to protect the privacy of minors when using a library and plant the seeds for change in the future.
Helen Adams
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Posted by: Sharmin_seo | December 11, 2015 at 03:22 PM
I wonder how many parents are aware of FERPA and how many use their right? Is there any statistics?
Posted by: Sheyla | February 19, 2006 at 10:08 AM
1. Is an education record subject to disclosure under the California Public Rights Act? If so, under what circumstances would the education record not be released?
2. Under Education Code Section 49067 states that Education Code section 49067 prevails over CPRA, does that mean Education would trump CPRA and FERPA would then apply?
Posted by: maribel hernandez | January 04, 2006 at 12:24 PM
I am writing to gain the perspective of this group about a concern that I have with my county's library. My son (age 8) checked out books and did not return them for several months. The Fairfax County Public Library (VA) reported this information to a collection agency. He has since returned these books, but I am left with an uneasy feeling knowing his personal information is with a third party collection agency. Not only do I think that it is overkill (though our area is known for its transient nature), but I feel that my son, being a minor, should have more protection. At the very least, MY name should be given to a collection agency if necessary. I plan on writing a letter but I wanted to gain a more circumspect view of the situation before doing so. Thank you for your thoughts.
Posted by: Darlene Almanza | December 14, 2005 at 08:23 AM
Hello,
A further clarification was requested from the Family Policy Compliance Office regarding whether school library records fall under FERPA's jurisdiction.
Begin quote:
"FERPA does not require that a school maintain particular education records. Rather, a school is required to provide to provide the privacy protections of FERPA to education records during whatever period of time the school chooses to maintain them. FERPA prohibits the destruction of education records while there is an outstanding inspection request from the parent to review those particular records. FERPA is otherwise silent concerning the destruction of education records.
Our response is not changed because the physical location of an education record does not affect its inclusion as an education record. As well, there is no FERPA concept of "permanent" record or "transient" record. (end quote)
While the response is not one that supports student privacy in my opinion, the question will not be settled until there is a decision by a court.
Helen
Posted by: Helen Adams | August 31, 2005 at 07:20 AM
Hello,
This is the reply received from the Family Policy Compliance Office regarding whether school library records fall under FERPA's jurisdiction.
(Begin quote) "Are K-12 school library records, such as automated circulation records, considered "education records" under FERPA?"
This Office administers the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
FERPA contains a broad definition of the term "education records. It defines them as "those records, files, documents, and other materials which --
(i) contain information directly related to a student; and
(ii) are maintained by an educational agency or instituion or by a person acting for such agency or institution."
34 CFR Part 99.3. "Education records."
In the circumstances you describe, if the records are maintained by a public school or district, and are able to be identified by student, then we'd probably consider them to meet the qualification of FERPA as education records. (end quote)
The reply is not totally surprising. It would appear that the phrase "if the records are maintained" is an important one. School library circulation records are transient, not permanent. They exist while a student has an item checked out, and depending on the automation system and its configuration, may be retained for varying time periods. In some systems, the link between borrower and specific item is severed when the item is checked in. In others, the circulation record for the student may remain anywhere from one more circulation cycle of the item up to 25 circulation time for the item. It depends on how district personnel configure the automated circulation. However, the list of books checked out is NEVER part of a permanent record which would be placed in the student's physical education record folder not attached electronically to a computerized student record.
Even though an email answer was sent to my query, the question will not be settled until there is a decision by a court.
Helen
Posted by: Helen Adams | August 24, 2005 at 07:56 AM
Nick,
Since information in library literature and other sources in unclear or contradictory, I am taking your advice and asking the Family Policy Complaince Office for their interpretation.
Since you seem to support the goal of protecting student privacy in school libraries, what tactic would you take to protect these student records?
Posted by: Helen | August 13, 2005 at 05:25 PM
While it is true that FERPA doesn't specifically mention library records, the idea that the law isn't clear is laughable. As cjovalle points out, the definition of "education records" under FERPA is very broad. Feel free to contact the U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office who will tell you that k-12 library records are considered "education records."
While the goal of protecting students' privacy is admirable for K-12 librarians, they won't find the support Helen is looking for in FERPA.
Posted by: Nick | August 12, 2005 at 02:17 PM
This is interesting- I've only heard FERPA interpretated in the broadest possible sense. FERPA mentions: records "directly related to a student; and maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party
acting for the agency or institution" (numbers removed) in records which are "any information recorded in any way, including, but not limited to, handwriting, print, computer media, video or audio tape, film, microfilm, and microfiche." I assumed that a lack of explicit exclusion meant that they were included. Are there more sources available arguing different views? That would affect a great many of my assumptions about FERPA and its applications.
Posted by: cjovalle | July 15, 2005 at 07:49 PM
America's librarians: protecting schoolchildren from their taxpayer parents.
Posted by: Jack Stephens | July 05, 2005 at 07:33 PM