The MIT Libraries’ privacy policy falls within the framework of MIT’s policies on privacy and the disclosure of information. In accordance with MIT policy, information collected by the Libraries that identifies the intellectual pursuits of a patron (e.g., library circulation records, interlibrary loan requests, reference questions) will not be disclosed to others, including Institute faculty and staff, except as necessary for enforcement of library rules (e.g., collection of overdue fines, tracing missing volumes, fulfilling interlibrary borrowing requests).

Patron information will not be made available to any agency of state, federal, or local government except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of, and pursuant to, federal, state, or local law relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discovery procedures or investigatory powers.

In the case of court orders or subpoenas for information about an individual, that individual will ordinarily be notified of the request as soon as possible, unless a court order prohibits such notification, e.g., the USA Patriot Act. Information requested by subpoena or court order may only be released by an authorized officer of the Institute. For the Libraries, the Institute’s authorized officer is the Director of Libraries.