Article
Authors: Lucie Daignault , Samuel Lim , Catherine Ferri
Public libraries are a source of trust for patrons. They serve as a space for building community and supporting patrons in their thirst for knowledge. They allow patrons to gather information about various topics without fear that their research and identities will be shared with outside parties, such as law enforcement. For patrons researching immigration, book bans, or other currently politically polarized topics, their trust in libraries and library services hinges, in part, on the assurance that their library records and identities are kept confidential. In the context of artificial intelligence (“AI”), fear of the disclosure of research inquiries is especially potent. Current library privacy laws are insufficient to regulate the vastly developing digital landscape. They fail to afford patrons the necessary protections against data collectors. Without updates to patron privacy laws, patrons will suffer First and Fourth Amendment harms, and the relationship between libraries and patrons will deteriorate.
With the expansion of the internet, information that would ordinarily be protected under existing patron privacy laws can now be more easily accessed as a result of people’s online activity. These risks grow exponentially as patrons interact with artificial intelligence on library devices under the assumption that their inquiries about books and other library materials would be held to the same confidentiality standard as would these same interactions with a member of library staff. Although the confidentiality of online data will likely vary from state to state as patron privacy laws are revisited and revised, state legislators must clarify and expand the applicability of patron privacy laws to modern technology.
By failing to update patron privacy laws in accordance with modern technology, legislators risk damaging the relationship of trust that libraries have built with their patrons. State legislators have the responsibility to protect their constituents and the relationships they have with public institutions. By expanding protections and adapting patron privacy laws to the evolving world, legislators would only be reinforcing ideas and values that already exist. Similarly, companies who interact with libraries have a responsibility to update their privacy policies to ensure that the data being shared with them is protected. By making the necessary updates and working in tandem, legislators, companies, and libraries can guarantee increased protection of patron privacy and affirm patron trust in the library system.
This Memorandum provides a detailed overview of all fifty states’ patron privacy laws and their applicability, or lack thereof, in the context of rapidly developing AI technology.
Keywords: Privacy, Artificial Intelligence
How to Cite: Daignault, L. , Lim, S. & Ferri, C. (2026) “Library Patron Privacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: An Overview of Existing Law and Policy Recommendations”, The Political Librarian. 9(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7936/pollib.9352
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