Privacy Policy

In order to better serve our patrons and protect our collections from damage or theft, LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives collects limited personal information from all patrons. LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives is committed to ensuring the privacy and accuracy of your confidential information. We do not actively share personal information gathered from our patrons. However, because LSUS is a public institution, some information collected may be subject to the Louisiana Public Records Act (La. R.S. 44:1(A)(1) or the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act). This means that while we do not actively share information, in some cases we may be compelled by law to release information gathered from our patrons.

Information We Gather

LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives collects the following information from patrons:
  Name
  Address
  Telephone number
  E-mail address
  Date and time of visit or reference request
  Research interest
  Planned publication or exhibition
  Identification (Driver’s license or student ID)

LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives does, upon explicit request of users, share information with other parties. For example, the Archives will send contact information of one patron to another patron with a similar research interest. This is done only at the request of the patron to whom the information applies. Unless specifically required under public information requests filed under the Louisiana Public Records Act, it is against Archives policy to release confidential information gathered from patrons.

The Louisiana Public Records Act

In Louisiana, a "public record" includes books, records, writings, letters, memos, microfilm, and photographs, including copies and other reproductions. To be "public," the record must have been used, prepared, possessed, or retained for use in connection with a function performed under authority of the Louisiana Constitution, a state law, or an ordinance, regulation, mandate, or order of a public body. This definition covers virtually every kind of record kept by a state or local governmental body. La. R.S. 44:1(A)(1).

The USA PATRIOT Act

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) became law on October 26, 2001. Under provisions of the act, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement officials may seek court orders for library records for investigations relevant to national security or terrorism. Libraries or library staff served with these search warrants may not disclose, under penalty of law, the existence of the warrants or the fact that records were produced as a result of the warrants. Borrowers cannot be told their records were given to law enforcement agencies or that they were the subjects of FBI investigations. Many provisions of the PATRIOT Act, including the section that relates to libraries, expire automatically on December 31, 2005, unless renewed by Congress.