Parents+having+access+to+records+containing+what+books+their+children+check+out+of+the+library

Parents monitoring children’s book selection, breaking privacy
=The Case: Should parents be allowed to access information regarding what books their child selected to read at the school library?=

“The Collier School District in Florida now allows parents and guardians to see the titles of books their children (and wards) check out from the district’s school libraries. Colllier County’s “Parent Portal” is being offered as a means of heading off book challenges in the district, with the thought that parents themselves can police the books their children are reading, rather than asking the school to remove the book from the school library” (Adams & Robinson, 2015). Having a portal means accessing school records on a computer. Students have a right to explore material that was selected to be in a school library following a selection policy. If parents are interested in books that their child has checked out or read, they should contact the library and school personnel. Children want to have things that they know they can’t have. If students know that their parents can access what they are checking out, students are likely to rebel or take other measures to gain access to books and materials. “Instead of checking out some books, students will read the books in the library (hiding them somewhere on the shelves), have a friend check them out, or simply ‘borrow them’ without benefit of checkout” (Adams & Robinson, 2015). Parents need to have an open communication with their student to explain what is an appropriate library book vs. what is an inappropriate library book. “Parents have the right (and responsibility) to guide their children’s reading – which does not mean spying on their child, but instead talking about the ideas in the books, discussing reading choices in relation to family values, and recommending books. As librarians, we follow the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association that states in Article 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.” It is incumbent on librarians to oppose practices that violate our ethics, especially those that concern the intellectual freedom of our patrons even if they are minors. There is a delicate balancing act between the rights of minors and the rights of parents. The Collier County “Parent Portal” shifts the balance too much toward the rights of parents and endangers the ability of students to read and think in an environment free from surveillance. It is a bad practice that the library profession must strongly advocate against before it becomes a precedent. If the “Parental Portal” practice goes unchallenged, not only is students’ privacy substantially decreased, but also another opportunity for parent and child interaction about books, reading, and libraries will be lost. Students will grow up thinking surveillance of their reading and research topics is expected or the norm. In a time when privacy and confidentiality of personal data is endangered, it is important for school librarians to challenge this use of technology to diminish students’ privacy. Just because we can give parents remote access to students’ school library records does not mean it is the right thing to do” (Adams & Robinson, 2015). Children do not need to fear being watched or punished for checking out a certain book. Parents need to be informed that a selection policy is followed when selecting books for the library. Parents should also communicate with their child about what book they are reading and topics that interest them to encourage what books to be read.

Adams, H. & Robinson, M. (2015, October 19). Watching what students read in a school library. //American Library Association.// Retrieved from []

This is a violation of student’s privacy and should be voted down. Here are some reasons why:
1. Students have a right to explore and form their own opinions, without the fear of knowing that their parents/guardians can access what they choose to read.

“It's crucial to be able to seek information without being monitored or having one's interest in a topic reported to others. "Our students have information needs that deal with very difficult topics," Gardner explains, citing startling statistics. "One in four girls will be sexually abused by the age of 18. One in 10 boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. Sixteen million American children live in poverty. ‘Often, if young people do not think their information requests and information-gathering activities are going to be kept private, they won't ask for the information. They would rather suffer the consequences of not knowing,’ says Gardner… 14 states specifically include school libraries in their patron-privacy laws” (Adams, 2002).

Adams, H. (2002). Privacy & confidentiality: now more than ever, youngsters need to keep their library use under wraps. //American Libraries//, //33//(10), 44-48 4p. Retrieved from []

2. Students should not feel anxiety or embarrassment as a result of reading for information or enjoyment.

“As with adult patrons, library staff must remember that we cannot guess children's privacy needs by the nature of the materials. If a child checks out a book about how to live with an alcoholic parent, we may guess that there is a fear of physical danger if the parent is told. Or it could be as simple as a child fearing that a parent will say a desired book is "too easy." Whether fear of anger or anticipation of embarrassment, a child's feelings cannot be second-guessed by anyone. In some cases, it may not be the parent that the child is embarrassed about. When a parent asks, it tends to be in a very public situation, and maybe the child does not want nearby classmates to hear. The parent will be less likely to notice that the class bully is within earshot. Children know the personalities, and the overdue title about which they are likely to be teased. Only the child is 100 percent sensitive to the child” (Hildebrand, 1991). Students need avenues for research of an unfamiliar topic. If a student is curious about any subject, he/she should be able to research that subject in the library without fear of punishment by his/her parents.

Hildebrand, J. (1991). Is privacy reserved for adults? Children's rights at the public library. //School Library Journal//, //37//(1), 21-25. Retrieved from []

An alternative approach for parents to access knowledge of what books their students check out can be put in to place.
 * An age limit ( i.e. under the age of 12 or 6th grade) can give students an option for their parents to access their reading records. Children need to have limited freedom and independence to mature. Unless the student appears to present an immediate danger to him/her or others, his privacy must be protected. Only with the permission of the student should information be shared.


 * Instead of making the students' lists automatically available through parent portal, a system should be enacted that requires students to give permission for parents to see what they have read in the library (see TCA code 10-8-102 (b) (1)). If students say no, that should be a red flag for parents to start a discussion about it, but parents aren't always willing to do that and that is a real problem. "Lack of parental involvement and an unwillingness to engage in healthy, honest dialogue with children are the real concerns..." (Jackson, 2016).


 * While the parents may have the best interest of the child at heart, they should speak with the child rather than the librarian. Open communication between parent and child should be the first step.

Students get information from all around them and they need a place to verify or refute that information. The library should provide that place. Students are curious by nature. That curiosity can sometimes be satisfied by their own research.

Jackson, M. (2016, March 1). Backdoor censorship? Virginia to warn parents about sexually explicit books. //The Christian Science Monitor.// Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA444807613&v=2.1&u=tel_s_tsla&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w&asid=cc4e9f6e8ded62814b738ec7a7c69150 