Honoring the Past, Serving Today, Preparing for Tomorrow

The Putnam District Library supports the public’s right to information regarding the affairs of Putnam District Library.  This document outlines the Library’s practices and policies in regards to citizen requests for Library records.

 

The Library maintains copies of official library documents for the current and previous fiscal years; library fiscal years are April 1 – March 31.

 

Pursuant to Michigan’s Library Privacy Act (1982 PA 455), a patron’s records are confidential in nature and such records will not be made available to any other individual or to any agency of government without written authorization of the patron.  The Library will resist the issuance or enforcement of any process, order, or subpoena until such time as the proper showing of good cause has been made in a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

The Putnam District Library is committed to complying with requests for Library records in accordance with the provisions of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  All requests will be processed according to the requirements of the MCLA  15.231 et. Seq.

 

PO Box 920

327 N. Main Street

Nashville, Michigan  49073

 

Requests should be as specific as possible, so that the Library can identify the requested document(s).  The written FOIA request must be dated, signed by the requester, and should include a time frame within which the requester would like to receive a response.  It is also helpful to provide a phone number and/or email address, so that if necessary, the FOIA Coordinator can contact the requester to clarify a request.

 

In accordance with Michigan law, the requester will receive a response within five business days which will do one of the following:

The Library may charge a reasonable fee for the actual costs of copying, search, examination, review or redaction of public records, as allowed by MCLA  15.231 et. Seq.

 

The Library’s Freedom of Information Act Coordinator is the Library Director.  In the absence of the Director, staff will forward FOIA requests to a staff or board member who is authorized by the Director to respond to FOIA requests according to Michigan Freedom of Information Act provisions.  The FOIA Coordinator will inform the Library Board of any requests denied.

 

Denial of a request by the Library’s FOIA Coordinator may be appealed to the Library Board by forwarding the request with a written notice of appeal to:

 

PO Box 920

327 N. Main Street

Nashville, Michigan  49073

(Adopted:  June 2011)