Confidentiality of Library Patron Records Policy
- The Cold Lake Public Library supports every patron’s right to have his or her library records remain confidential.
- Library records include patron registration data, circulation records, overdue, ILL and reserve/hold records, participation in library sponsored programs, record of library visits, record of internet usage and / or any data that contain information that links a specific patron to specific materials or services used.
- Each patron, excluding children under 12 and all secondary family cardholders (please see family membership for details), has individual control over his or her library card and presentation of the card permits access to information about the borrower’s current circulation record.
- Except during the actual period of transaction (circulation, maintenance of record on unpaid fines, reservation of materials), the library will not maintain a record of transactions. When no longer needed for library administration purposes, records will be expunged.
- In compliance with the FOIP Act, no information will be released to any person, agency or organization, except in response to a valid court order or subpoena, properly presented to the library administrator.
- Nothing in this policy shall prevent authorized library personnel from using library records in the administration of their regular duties.
The Cold Lake Public Library is subject to the
Libraries Act and Regulation R.S.A. 2000 Chap. L-11 and the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), and upholds the
Canadian Federation of Library Associations’ (CFLA) Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries.
Collection and Disclosure of Personal InformationThe library only collects the amount of personal information needed to conduct library services and programs. Personally identifiable information contained in the patron record includes:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number(s)
- Email address
Patron records with charges below the defined threshold are purged after they have been expired for two years.The library does not collect personal information for commercial marketing or distribution to private organizations. The library will only disclose personal information:
- to law enforcement in response to a court order, such as a warrant, subpoena, or other legal compulsion.
- in partnership with other Alberta libraries and library systems for the purposes of sharing materials under conditions defined in existing resource sharing agreements and programs (e.g. interlibrary loan agreements, TAL Card, ME Libraries), collecting fees or fines, and retrieving borrowed materials.
- for the purpose of contacting next of kin or emergency response personnel in the case of an emergency.
Tracking and SecurityCookies – When you visit a website it may deposit a piece of data, called a web cookie, with the temporary web browser files on your computer. If you wish, you can change the settings on your web browser to deny cookies, or to warn you when a site is about to deposit cookies on your hard drive.Encryption – The library's website links patrons to their My Account on
TRACpac and
Relais for borrowing purposes. These consortia use encryption during the login process/transmission of a patron’s library card, username, and PIN.eResources – Northern Lights Library System (NLLS) subscribes to various databases found under the eResources tab of the library's website. The administrative software of the databases may identify individual patron barcodes with specific titles read, however NLLS only uses the information anonymously to aggregate usage by patron’s registered library. NLLS does not analyze individual patron usage. Users may read the databases’ privacy policies on their home pages.External Links – The library's website links to other websites and eResources that may collect personal information. Users should review the privacy policies of these sites before providing them with personal data.Reading History – Patrons can choose to save their reading histories on when registering for a library card or in their account on
TRACpac. These lists are private unless the patron chooses to share them, and the library will not share these lists, except when in response to a law enforcement court order, such as a warrant, subpoena, or other legal compulsion.SimplyReports – NLLS utilizes SimplyReports software to pull data from the ILS in order to create custom reports and to assist with identifying recent borrowers of a lost or damaged library item. This information can only be drawn for the last five borrowers of an item and is only used for the stated purpose of retrieving missing pieces, missing items, and to invoice for damage or loss.Usage Statistics – The library uses
Google Analytics to discover usage of our website. Google Analytics uses cookies. Users may read Google Analytics’ policies.
Parental Responsibility for MinorsParents and legal guardians take responsibility for what their children access on and through the library's website. No age restrictions or filters apply to the library's databases, eResources, or links to external sites, and the System’s Internet access is not filtered.
Programs and EventsOnline Forms and Electronic Communication with System Staff – NLLS may provide online forms for facilitating services or resource acquisition suggestions. These forms will require some user personal information. NLLS will gather only the personal information necessary to facilitate the service or request, and the personal information will not be used for any other purpose. Personal information provided to NLLS staff through any other electronic communications, such as email, text, etc. will be used only to facilitate the request submitted.
Social MediaThe library may provide access to social media. Users posting comments to the library's social media should be aware of the public nature of such posts and of their responsibility to exercise caution when sharing personally identifiable information over social media.
