The sections below provide details about our collection, use, disclosure, maintenance, and protection of personally identifiable information that you provide to us. Note that these are general principles; individual sites may have their own specific privacy policies to which links are provided. In addition, the Library also employs third-party services that may have their own privacy policies. Some of these are discussed below, but you are encouraged to read the description of their privacy practices on their own web sites. In addition to disclosing how we collect, use, maintain, and protect our patrons’ privacy, we also provide Privacy Services to guide you in the private exploration and experimentation necessary to pursue scholarly and creative endeavors. Protecting Your Information No method of transmitting over the Internet or storing electronic data is 100 percent secure, but this site has measures in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information that is under our control. Websites When you use websites under the control of the Library, certain technical information from your web browser is captured in a web activity log. This information normally includes: IP address Type and version of operating system and browser used Date and time of access Pages visited Search queries and result sets Referring URL (the web address of the page from which you followed a link to our site) The Library uses this information to diagnose and solve problems with our services and to identify and resolve problems with computer security. Raw log files are normally maintained for 90 days for security purposes. For some sites, an aggregated abstract of the data is prepared each night that anonymizes session data so that searches cannot be linked to specific IP addresses or network IDs. This data is then used to analyze and improve system features. For more information on web privacy, see the University Privacy Office website. Cookies and Google Analytics Cookies are small text files that a website uploads to your computer in order to uniquely identify your browser. Users whose computers accept cookies can store their preferences and access certain features of the website more efficiently after the first visit. They also allow us to improve our services by better tracking how our websites are used. You may configure your browser to disable the use of cookies. Some features of our websites may not function properly, however, if you block the acceptance of cookies. In 2009, in order to better understand how visitors engage with our websites, the Library began to use Google Analytics on some of its sites. Google Analytics employs first-party cookies for data analysis, and will only use that cookie data for statistical analysis related to your browsing behavior on the Library's websites. According to Google, the data collected is anonymous and cannot be altered or retrieved by services from other domains. As with the library’s cookies, Google Analytics can be disabled by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in your browser. Note that pages monitored with Google Analytics also contain some javascript that allows Google Analytics to track anonymously your actions on the monitored site. HTTPS When you search or browse our Library websites or databases, it is theoretically possible that someone else on the Cornell University network could “eavesdrop” on your activities (though this is a violation of Cornell University policy). This is because most data on the Internet is transmitted in clear text. One way to avoid this is to use an encrypted SSL connection using the “https” prefix. Both the library catalog and WorldCat Local catalog support HTTPS searches. If you are concerned that someone on the network system may be eavesdropping on your searches, use either one, but change the prefix to https:// before you start your search. You should be aware that even if you use an https connection, the Library cannot guarantee that submissions to our websites, any content residing on our servers, or any transmission from our servers will be completely secure. External Website Links From time-to-time, we will link to external websites that we neither own nor control. Cornell University is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or web accessibility needs on these websites. Social Media Presence If you share our content through social media, such as liking us on Facebook or tweeting about us on Twitter, those social networks will record that you have done so and may set a cookie for this purpose. If you with to opt-out of any of these social interactions, please refer to the specific social media platform for instructions on how to do so. Circulation The Library respects the privacy of all borrowers of library materials. We will not reveal the names of individual borrowers nor reveal what books are, or have been, charged to any individual except as required by law. Only staff members who have a functional need to view circulation data can view who has borrowed a book. The Library seeks to protect user privacy by purging borrowing records as soon as possible. In general, the link connecting a patron with a borrowed item is broken once the item is returned. The exception is when a bill for the item is generated. In that case, the information on who borrowed the item is retained indefinitely in our system. For security reasons, records of who requested items from the Library’s special collections are also retained indefinitely. Interlibrary Loan and ScanIt Interlibrary Loan lending and borrowing records have been retained since at least 2001. All such records are treated confidentially. In some cases, information about requests (including the name of the requestor) is shared within the library staff for collection development purposes, but staff are instructed not to further disseminate such information. If you do not want your interlibrary loan request used for collection development purposes, you may so indicate in the “Notes” section of the request form. The Library at times compiles aggregate data for internal business purposes and to improve Library services, but whenever this happens, all personally-identifiable information is first stripped from the requests. Collection Development Purchase requests and items on-order or in-process requested by patrons are linked in the catalog system to the names of users so that they can notified when the items are ready to circulate. Such information is deemed confidential reader information and is not shared outside the Library. As noted above, collection development staff may also receive copies of Interlibrary Loan requests. Such information is used purely for internal operational purposes and is not shared outside the library. Personalized Services Some library services require you to provide personal information. If you are asked to provide, and do provide, personal information, the Library will explain why we ask for the information and will use such information for those specific and limited purposes. Information from other sources is not combined with that information. The Library will not sell, share, or otherwise distribute your personal data to third parties without your consent. Reference Inquiries You may ask questions of library staff by phone, mail, text, email, chat, and in person. All such inquiries are treated as confidential. Depending on the library unit, records with patron identifications may be kept for a few months or indefinitely. Reference questions may be posted to the Ask a Librarian blog, but only with the permission of the person asking the questions and only with all personal information removed. Licensed Resources and Services More and more, the Library outsources systems and services to third-party vendors. Most of the digital resources that we offer, for example, come from outside suppliers, as does the current library catalog. The Library expects the information service providers with whom we contract to protect the identity of individual users and the information they use. We commonly require, for example that vendors agree not to sell or license information from library users to third parties. Many vendors provide additional personalized services that may require you to identify yourself with your name or a pseudonym. In general, this is done at your discretion; the Library seeks to avoid products that demand personalization. While the Library seeks to require third parties with which it works to follow accepted library policies regarding privacy and confidentiality, it is not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage users to familiarize themselves with third party privacy policies before using the resources. Library Surveys and Assessment Projects Information and data obtained by the Library or its units through surveys (group or individual interviews or other means) in support of assessment of services, collections, facilities, resources, etc., or in support of research related to library and information services, are considered confidential and will not be shared except in aggregations, to protect the privacy of individual participants. When required, surveys are conducted in accordance with the policies of Cornell’s Institutional Review Board for Human Participants. Children under 13 The Library does not knowingly request, collect, or share personally identifiable information from users under the age of 13. Contact If you have questions about the Library’s practices regarding privacy and confidentiality, please contact cul-privacy@cornell.edu.