Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 6/16/09
I. Introduction
The New York Public Library (“NYPL” or
the “Library”) is committed to protecting
the privacy of our patrons, customers, donors, and
friends. We believe that privacy is essential
to the exercise of free speech, free thoughts and
free association, and we have created this Privacy
Policy so that you can learn what the Library does
with your information. (This policy covers
information that is collected online as well as offline.) By
using NYPL's services, including its website, and
by communicating with NYPL, you agree to be bound
by the terms of this Privacy Policy. This policy
may change from time to time, and we encourage you
to check it periodically.
II. Library Records
A. The Library protects its users’ privacy
by keeping information about materials they check
out and information they access confidential, as
required by law. In New York, the confidentiality
of library records is governed by New York CPLR 4509,
which reads as follows:
Library records, which contain names or other personally
identifying details regarding the users of public,
free association, school, college and university
libraries and library systems of this state, including
but not limited to records related to the circulation
of library materials, computer database searches,
interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries,
requests for photocopies of library materials, title
reserve requests, or the use of audio-visual materials,
films or records, shall be confidential and shall
not be disclosed except that such records may be
disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper
operation of such library and shall be disclosed
upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to
subpoena, court order or where otherwise required
by statute.
B. The information collected and retained
by the Library varies, depending on the context:
1. Circulating Materials. When you
check out a book, video, DVD, CD, game or any other
item from our circulating collections, we keep an
electronic record of that transaction. If the
item in question is returned on time, the electronic
record for that transaction is deleted from our integrated
library system. If the item is returned after
the due date and the fine is paid when it is returned,
the electronic record for that transaction is also
deleted from our integrated library system. If
an item is returned after the due date and the fine
associated with that item is not paid when the item
is returned, then we keep a record of that transaction
until the fine in question is paid. As a precaution,
we also keep a record of information contained in
our integrated library system on back-up files that
are stored off site. These files are purged
on a rolling basis so that only four weeks of transaction
history is kept at any given time.
2. Special
Collections / Research Materials. When
a patron accesses non-circulating materials from
one of our research libraries, we generally keep
a record of that transaction in our files, even after
the item in question has been returned. These
records are kept because many of the items in our
special collections are fragile or rare or are governed
by agreements we have with third parties who have
made these materials available to us (such as the
videos in our Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.)
3. Personalized Services. NYPL’s
integrated library system allows any patron who would
like to save certain search queries to our database
the ability to do so through our “preferred
searching” service. This service sends
the patron in question information about new materials
that meet the search criteria established by that
patron. Patrons may also use the integrated
library system to save lists of materials they have
read on a personalized saved title list page. The
information saved in the preferred searching service
as well as on the personalized saved title list page
is only accessible to the patron who has signed up
for the service in question.
4. Research Queries. NYPL often receives
requests for research assistance by phone, email,
or through other channels. The way this information
is handled varies, depending on the division that
receives the request. For example, “Ask
NYPL” keeps a database of questions and answers,
often in anonymized form, in order to answer future
questions more efficiently. Other divisions,
such as NYPL Express or our branch libraries, may
keep a record of each question and answer.
5. Use of NYPL E-Resources. Some e-resources
available via NYPL’s website are designed to
gather information from patrons for certain purposes
like finding jobs. These e-resources retain
patrons’ personal information, and patrons
are encouraged to read the privacy policy of the
company that provides the service in question to
learn more about how this information might be used. In
all other instances, information about the use of
our e-resources is only kept on an aggregate (i.e.,
non-personally identifiable) basis.
6. Inter-Library Loan Requests. NYPL
offers our users access to materials owned by other
libraries if those materials are not contained in
our collections. We make these materials available
through an online application called ILLiad, supported
by OCLC Online Computer Library Center (“OCLC”). All
inter-library loan requests are placed through this
application, either directly by the individual making
the request or by an NYPL staff member who creates
an account on behalf of the patron. This account
keeps a record of the requests made. Information
in these accounts is available, on a confidential
basis, to NYPL as well as to OCLC.
7. Use of NYPL Computers. While
NYPL does not keep personally-identifiable records
of patron searches on our computers, we do keep
a log of internet activity for all NYPL computers
and other devices using our networks (i.e., we
keep a record of URLs accessed from each of our
IP addresses). This information is
retained in order to ensure compliance with the
Children’s Internet Protection Act and to
compile monthly usage statistics; it is purged
every 6 - 8 weeks. Information related to
reserving time on our computers through our online
reservation system is generally purged from our
records each night.
8. Participation in NYPL Classes and Programs. NYPL
retains information about patrons’ participation
in our classes. How we use this information
depends on the class in question. For example,
in cases where we provide a class, like an English
Class for Speakers of Other Languages, through a
service provider, we may share patron information
with the instructor/service provider. In cases
where we receive funding for classes from outside
sources, which is also the case with our English
Classes for Speakers of Other Languages, we are often
required to share information about the participants
with the entities that have provided funding for
the classes (in the case of English Classes for Speakers
of Other Languages, the NY State Department of Education
and the Mayor's Office). In cases where patrons
sign a release in order to participate in a class
(like a yoga class), we will keep this release in
our files, in accordance with our policies.
III. Use of Information in Connection
with Other Programs, Services and Activities
The Library compiles aggregate demographic data
related to our patrons to better manage our services
and to provide aggregate information to potential
funders of the Library's programs. In addition,
like other similar organizations, the Library collects
certain personally-identifiable information about
our patrons, customers, donors, and friends for purposes
related to our mission. For example, information
is obtained from online transactions such as purchases,
registrations, or contributions as well as responses
to our e-newsletters and email communications. (In
order to help us to better tailor our services and
offerings, NYPL collects limited information about
patron click-throughs, in connection with our e-newsletters
and certain email communications.) This
information may be used to send you information about
various programs and services offered by NYPL as
well as other NYPL initiatives and information. Should
you ever wish to stop receiving any particular type
of communication, please either click the unsubscribe
link at the bottom of the email you received or contact
the appropriate office by using these
email addresses.
As is customary in the non-profit world, NYPL will
sometimes send people who have expressed interest
in the Library’s programs or services requests
to support the Library. In order to ensure
the most efficient use of NYPL’s fundraising
dollars, we use third party vendors to make sure
the contact information we have for our users is
current and to determine which users are most likely
to provide support. Information about our donors
is never sold or rented to other organizations, though
sometimes we exchange donor names and postal addresses
with other non-profits. These names are shared
for use on a one-time, non-retainable basis. Online
donors are given a chance to opt out of this exchange
when they fill out the online donation form, and
all donors may call the Development
Office at any time (or send an email to friends
[at] nypl.org) to have their preferences in this
regard updated.
IV. Updating Your Information and
Preferences
Patrons who would like to update information and
preferences in connection with Library newsletters,
mailing lists, and databases should refer to this
list for contact
information. In all instances, patrons can stop
receiving e-newsletters sent by the Library by clicking
on the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom
of each such e-newsletter. Cardholders who
would like to update their telephone numbers and
email addresses online may do so through NYPL’s
integrated library system.
V. Third-Party Partners
The Library has teamed up with reputable third-party
partners in order to provide certain services to
its patrons. The information you submit to the Library
may be provided to those third parties on a confidential
basis so that they can assist us in providing certain
services, including English Classes for Speakers
of Other Languages and activities that require us
to maintain databases and/or process credit card
transactions and donations. In cases where
patrons leave the Library's website to visit one
of its partners' websites, patrons are encouraged
to become familiar with the privacy policies of the
websites they visit.
VI. Security
The Library has physical, electronic, and managerial
measures in place to prevent unauthorized access
to the information we collect.
VII. Cookies
Cookies are commonly used to provide useful features
to website users. A cookie is a small text
file that is sent to your browser from a website
and stored on your computer's hard drive. Cookies
cannot read data from your hard disk or read cookie
files that were created by other websites—the
website that creates a cookie is the only one that
a browser will permit to access it. The cookie
itself does not contain any personally identifiable
information, but may be used to tell when your computer
has accessed NYPL’s website. Examples
of ways in which the Library might use cookies include
customizing content areas or analyzing site activity. Some
electronic services offered by NYPL, such as the
library catalog and remote databases, place temporary
cookies for current sessions.
If you are concerned about the use of cookies, we
suggest that you set your browser's options to notify
you whenever a cookie is set or to disallow cookies
altogether. You should be aware, however, that prohibiting
the use of cookies may restrict your access to certain
types of content or features.
VIII. Children’s
Privacy
The Library is very concerned about the issue of children’s
privacy. We ask all children who access services
from our website or from websites affiliated with NYPL
(such as On-Lion: For Kids, Teen Link, homeworkNYC.org,
and summerreading.org) to limit the amount of personal
information they provide, and, in each instance, we
do not ask for more personal information from patrons
who are children than is necessary to participate in
the activity in question. We encourage all parents
and guardians to learn about their children’s
online activities and to participate in their children's
exploration of the internet. We also encourage
parents and guardians to tell their children about
the importance of: (i) not revealing personal information
online and (ii) asking for permission before providing
their last name or contact information to any website,
or before purchasing any products or services online. For
further information, please read A
Safety Net for the Internet: A Parent's Guide.
|