New EveryLibrary Institute Report Examines Library Patron Privacy Laws in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The EveryLibrary Institute is pleased to announce the publication of Library Patron Privacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: An Overview of Existing Law and Policy Recommendations, a major new report authored by Lucie Daignault, Samuel Lim, and Catherine Ferri of the Georgetown University Communications and Technology Law Clinic in partnership with the EveryLibrary Institute.

As libraries increasingly rely on digital platforms, third-party vendors, and artificial intelligence tools to support public services, longstanding assumptions about patron confidentiality are facing new pressures. This report examines how existing state library privacy laws address, or may fail to address, the realities of AI-driven technologies, data retention, and modern digital library systems.

The paper provides a comprehensive survey of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, reviewing how each jurisdiction approaches library patron privacy protections. It also explores the constitutional, ethical, and operational concerns raised by AI systems that collect, process, retain, and potentially disclose patron data in ways many current statutes never anticipated.

Download the Report at https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/state_level_library_patron_privacy_laws_ai 

The EveryLibrary Institute welcomes discussion, feedback, and collaboration around the issues raised in this paper as libraries continue to navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

Download the report today and join the conversation about the future of privacy and technology.