Welcome to the Readers’ Advisory Resource Manual!

Whether you’re new to the department or have been here since the
beginning, this binder is for you. If you’re new to the department, the size of this thing might be a little overwhelming. Let me
narrow it down to three main ideas. These aren’t rules, per say, so much as they are the fundamental motivation behind
everything else in this manual:

1. It is okay to violate a policy or make a mistake when you do so to make a patron happy. This is a promise from our
administration to everybody else in the Library, and it’s one we take very seriously. Policies help set standards for how our
community uses our space, but they should never stand between us and serving our patrons. The expectation is that patrons
will leave happy, no matter what you have to do. You are trusted to make the best decision.

2. We always find a way to say yes. When you’re not sure of a policy, find a way to say yes. Even if you know the policy and it’s at
odds with what a patron wants, say yes whenever you can. We don’t want to say no unless something is physically impossible.
And even when it is, we try to find a way to say yes to something similar. Our former director Louise Berry was famous for
saying: “Saying no with a smile is not good customer service.” That is a bit of a mantra here.

3. Kill them with kindness. It can get tough when it’s busy. Almost everybody who comes to the desk will be lovely, but not
everybody. Some people will just be having a hard day. Other times, it might feel like someone is trying to make you snap.
Don’t let it happen. You don’t have to be a doormat, but you do have to be kind to everybody who comes through that door,
even when they’re not giving you the same consideration. Leave the desk when you need to, vent behind closed doors, but find
a way to be kind with our patrons. And with each other! Be ready to go the extra mile for your fellow staff members in exactly
the same way you would for a patron. We are all at our kindest when we know someone’s got our back.

If you keep these three ideas in mind, you will be ready from your first minute on the job.

This manual is meant to be a living document and a guide to our department, and as such you can expect regular changes.
Feel free to mark up your copy in whichever way you would like, and be on the lookout for additions and changes, either printed
or emailed. A full-scale review of the manual happens annually. If you think of a good addition or change, send to myself, Pat
Tone, and Abby Sesselberg.

Let’s get started!

Stephanie Anderson, Assistant Director of Public Services

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association

As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the
profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing
information services, library trustees and library staffs.

Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which
we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.

We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political
system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the
freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and
future generations.

The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a
framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.

I. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources;
equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.
II. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
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.
IV. We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights
holders.
V. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of
employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
VI. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
VII. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to
interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information
resources.
VIII. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by
encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of
the profession.

Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; and January 22, 2008.

Patron Privacy

You all know that we protect patron privacy very strongly—for example, we don’t share information about what a patron has
checked out with anybody, even the police (they need to get a warrant). However, in our day-to-day work, privacy issues are
rarely simple, and sometimes can butt up against our goal to provide extreme customer service. Below, please find a few
situations that have come up recently, along with the solution and a possible talking point. Let me know if you have any
questions about these, or if there are other situations you’re curious about.
One final note: We know that issues surrounding teen patrons can be the trickiest, since we allow them some measure of
privacy, but they often do not have either a library card with them, or a photo ID. A solution to those issues will be sent to you in
the next few weeks.

Thanks, as ever, for all the hard work you to both to protect our patrons and to serve them well!

Situation: A patron wants to check out a book on hold for a family member, but they do not have the card with them.

Solution: No problem! Please verify the address or another piece of account information to be sure you have the right patron.
You can’t share further information about the account, but we’re happy to allow someone to do a good deed for a family
member.

Talking point: “Of course I can check that out for you! Can you just verify the mailing address we have on this account?”

Situation: A patron wants a list of everything on her sixteen-year-old, eight-year-old, and husband currently have checked out.

Solution: You can print her a list for the eight-year-old, but the sixteen-year-old and husband both need to get their own list (or
to hand over their library card so that the patron can look it up herself, or create an online account). Patrons over twelve have
the right to borrowing record privacy.

Talking point: “I’ll be happy to print out your eight-year old’s record. Your older child and husband need to access their records
themselves for privacy reasons, but that’s easy to do through our website.”

Situation: A patron wants a list of everything on her sixteen-year-old, eight-year-old, and husband have overdue fees and
replacement fees due on.

Solution: You can print the lists for both children. We do protect teenage patrons’ reading privacy to the fullest extent we can,
but because parents are legally liable for their teen children’s fees, they have a right to know what they’re paying for. Because
many caregivers in our community are permitted to use the cards of the family they work for in order to check books out for
their charges, you may also provide this information to them.

Further point: In some instances, we know that adults check books out for and monitor the accounts of other adults—in
particular, some adults help their older parents with using the Library, or only one spouse can physically get to the Library. We
can always make exceptions in this case. We want to protect patron privacy, not interfere with people’s use of the Library. We
trust your judgment.

Talking point: “I’ll be happy to print those out for you—if you can find the book you’re being charged for here, we can reverse
that charge!”

Situation: A patron wants the Library card number of a family member.

Solution: Parents may request the card numbers of children under 12. Over 12, that request needs to go to the cardholder, not
us! However, adults may not use their children’s Library card numbers to log into Library computers—patrons must use their
own cards to log into computers. If an adult doesn’t have their own card yet, now is a great time to get one! If this is their first
visit and they don’t live in Darien, feel free to give them a guest pass for the day after checking their ID, and explain how they
can get their own card for their next visit. Please remember that adults must use a guest pass issued at the Help Desk or
Reference Desk.

Talking point: “I can’t share that card number with you, but I’d be happy to get you one of your very own. Do you live here in
Darien?”