This privacy notice is designed to help you understand how and why we process your personal data in relation to the library and information service. This notice should be read in conjunction with our corporate privacy notice.
Who are we?
North Yorkshire Council is a ‘data controller’ as defined by Article 4(7) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
We have appointed Veritau to be our data protection officer. Their contact details are:
Information Governance Office
Veritau
West Offices
Station Rise
York
North Yorkshire
YO1 6GA
Email: infogov@northyorks.gov.uk
Tel: 01904 552848
What personal data of mine do you collect?
We need to record some very basic details about our customers. Some of the details we ask for are mandatory. The mandatory information we ask for includes your full name, date of birth, address and postcode. The other details we ask for are non-mandatory and you do not have to supply them. We ask for these extra details because they help us to monitor and improve our services. The non-mandatory information we ask for includes your email, telephone number and disability information.
What is the purpose of collecting my personal data?
We use your personal information for our membership records and to provide the services you have subscribed to. We use your personal information to identify you when you contact us (in these situations we will ask you to confirm some of your personal details). On some occasions, we use your personal information to contact you (this is explained in further detail below). We use your anonymised information for statistical analysis and to monitor and improve our services.
Who do you share this data with?
There are two North Yorkshire Council departments that have secure access to your personal information. These are the library service and the customer resolution centre. Some of our libraries are provided in partnership with local community organisations and your personal details will be securely available to volunteers who help us to operate our community library service. Volunteers are bound by the same data protection requirements as paid staff.
Your personal information will not be sold or disclosed to any third parties unless required by law.
How do you store my personal data?
We only store your personal information when volunteered to us by you. The information you provide is administered by employees of the North Yorkshire library and information service and our community library partners. When you join the library your personal information is entered into our electronic library management system.
Your library membership needs renewing every three years. Your library membership will become deactivated and your data deleted or anonymised 24 months after your ticket expires and / or if there has been no activity within this time. We will not contact you when your account becomes deactivated.
You have the right to have any personal information amended at any time. You also have a right to withdraw your consent at any time and to have your information deleted. Providing there are no outstanding loans or charges on your account and you are not a guarantor you have the right to have any personal information removed from our systems and records.
How will you contact me?
On occasion, we will use your personal information to contact you at the address, email or phone number you have provided us with. Your personal information will not be sold or disclosed to any third parties.
If you provide an email address or telephone number we will be able to notify you about matters relating to your library account for example, items due for return or collection.
Your library membership needs renewing every three years. If you provide an email address you will be sent two emails informing you that your membership is due to expire - one 21 days before expiry and one three days before expiry.
We would like to send you occasional emails to keep you informed about the benefits of your library membership (for example, new online resources, special promotions), events and activities happening at a library near you or to invite you to share your views on the library service and its future development. We do require you to opt-in for this service and that can be done by accessing the contact preferences section online at my library account, or in person by speaking to a member of staff or volunteer at any North Yorkshire library. These emails will only relate to North Yorkshire library matters and we will not share your details with third parties. You can opt out at any time by logging into your library account or contacting a North Yorkshire library.
Privacy and our public network computers
When you book a people’s network session we are able to view the date and time of your session, the IP address, your name and your library membership number. This information is stored on our secure computer booking system.
We also make use of software to gauge customer demand on our people's network computers. The software we employ is used to evaluate and improve our services and no personal information is collected this way. Anyone who wishes to use our people’s network computers must read and accept the terms of our acceptable use agreement.
North Yorkshire library and information service reserve the right to refuse or terminate a public computer session if we believe our acceptable use agreement is being violated or there is some form of inappropriate activity taking place.
Privacy when asking a question
We aim to be discreet in responding to enquiries of a personal or sensitive nature, especially when they are made in person. We also endeavour to protect your confidentiality when dealing with any questions or issues you raise (this includes telephone and email enquiries).
Please note that libraries are public spaces and it is possible for conversations to be heard by other customers. We remind customers to be cautious when making enquiries of a personal or sensitive nature.
How to make a complaint to us
When we receive a complaint from a person we make up a file containing the details of the complaint. This normally contains the identity of the complainant and any other individuals involved in the complaint. We will only use the personal information we collect to process the complaint and to check on the level of service we provide. More information about complaints about council services is available.
For more information about how we use your data, including your privacy rights and the complaints process, please see our corporate privacy notice.