PARENTAL ACCESS TO LIBRARY RECORDS

Parents would be able to see what materials their children are viewing or checking out from the local library under a bill that won initial approval in a House subcommittee on Tuesday. House File 2055 would expand parents' access to their children's records beyond whatever policies might be in place by local libraries regarding privacy and parental rights. Currently, library records call under confidentiality protections, but Craig Patterson of the Iowa Library Association said policies vary based on local decisions. He said his association would welcome some clarification but not a blanket statewide mandate that would remove that local control. The issue was brought to the Legislature by Tracy Darr, a Bondurant parent who complained that she was denied access to information regarding fines that were owed on library materials checked out by her minor child. Two Republicans on the House subcommittee agreed to forward the issue to the full House Education Committee for consideration.