(a) The public disclosure of Library records provided for by this part does not apply to records, or any parts thereof, within any of the categories set out below. Unless precluded by law, the Chief, OSS, nevertheless may release records within these categories, except for Congressional correspondence and other materials identified in § 703.5(b)(1), after first consulting with the General Counsel.

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) Records exempt from disclosure under this part are the following:

(1) Congressional correspondence and other materials relating to work performed in response to or in anticipation of Congressional requests, unless authorized for release by officials of the Congress.

(2) Materials specifically authorized under criteria established by Executive Order to be withheld from public disclosure in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and that are properly classified pursuant to Executive Orders.

(3) Records related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of the Library. This category includes, in addition to internal matters of personnel administration, internal rules and practices which cannot be disclosed without prejudice to the effective performance of a Library function, such as guidelines and procedures used by auditors, investigators, or examiners in the Office of the Inspector General.

(4) Records specifically exempted from disclosure by statute, provided that such statute:

(i) Requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or

(ii) Establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld.

(5) Records containing trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person as privileged or confidential. This exemption may include, but is not limited to, business sales statistics, inventories, customer lists, scientific or manufacturing processes or development information.

(6) Personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which could constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. This exemption includes all private or personal information contained in files compiled to evaluate candidates for security clearances.

(7) Materials and information contained in investigative or other records compiled for law enforcement purposes.

(8) Materials and information contained in files prepared in connection with government litigation and adjudicative proceedings, except for those portions of such files which are available by law to persons in litigation with the Library.

(9) Records having information contained in or related to examination, operation, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions.

(10) Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda, letters or other materials that are part of the deliberative process, the premature disclosure of which would inhibit internal communications or be detrimental to a Library function (e.g., case files in the Manuscript Division).

(11) Records containing information customarily subject to protection as privileged in a court or other proceedings such as information protected by the doctor-patient, attorney work product, or attorney-client privilege.

(12) Information submitted by a person to the Library in confidence or which the Library has obligated itself not to disclose such as information received by the Office of the Inspector General through its hotline.

(13) Materials related to specific patron use of the Library’s collections, resources, or facilities either on site or off site. This exemption includes:

(i) Reader Records. Library records which identify readers by name, such as registration records, reading room logs or registers, telephone inquiry logs, and charge slips, if retained for administrative purposes.

(ii) Use Records. Users of the Library are entitled to privacy with respect to their presence and use of the Library’s facilities and resources. Records pertaining to the use of the Library and of Library collections and subjects of inquiry are confidential and are not to be disclosed either to other readers, to members of the staff who are not authorized, or to other inquirers including officials of law enforcement, intelligence, or investigative agencies, except pursuant to court order or administratively by order of the Librarian of Congress.

(c) Any reasonably segregable portion of a record shall be provided to anyone requesting such records after deletion of the portions which are exempt under this section. A portion of a record shall be considered reasonably segregable when segregation can produce an intelligible record which is not distorted out of context, does not contradict the record being withheld, and can reasonably provide all relevant information.