Privacy policy: Libraries

Who To Contact

Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL

Why we need your information

When you ask to join the library, we ask you to give us your name, date of birth and contact details so that we can be able to give you the services you sign up to.  This can be to borrow a book or other items we loan out, or to use computers at the Library.

We only ask for your age so that we do not fine you when the books are not returned on time.

Where an email address is provided at registration, and you tick the box “I would like to be kept informed by email about what’s going on in libraries for adults, children and families”, we may use this address to provide information about library services that may be of interest to you. You can opt out of this at any time by contacting us at [email protected]

Who we share your information with?

We will share data with:

PTFS Europe – This is a company we work with to help us manage our customer memberships and library catalogue
Insight Media – This is a company we work with to help us manage booking public computers in our libraries

How long we keep your information for and why?

We only keep information about you in order to process your membership of the Library Service.
Memberships will become dormant (but will remain on the library system) if not used for a period of two years. Membership data will be removed completely if not used for a period of three years, unless there is any financial penalty attached to the record (i.e. moneys owed for fines, lost items etc.). In these cases, membership details will remain on the system until such financial penalty is resolved.

IT Digital Support

If you would like assistance from our digital buddies, we ask that you provide your name and contact details so that we can then contact you directly to discuss how best we can help and also to make an appointment at your nearest branch. This information will only be used for this purpose and won’t be shared with any third party organisation nor retained for any longer than one month after the appointment.

PC management System

When accessing our public PCs, customers log in using their unique ID and pin. The PC management system (ICAM) does not hold a customer record as such, but authenticates each user via a SIP 2 connector to our library management system over an encrypted connection. ICAM however does record transaction history which is identifiable via customer ID. Data held includes:

  • Date and time logged in
  • Length of user session
  • Internet history – list of sites accessed. This is automatically collated by our IT department but only ever accessed should we suspect that inappropriate sites have been accessed on our PCs, or if details are requested by the police. This data can only requested by a designated senior member of staff who then analyses the data and takes action accordingly based upon findings. IT holds this data for a period of 12 months

All transaction data is held for a three year period, but user data is anonymised after a 12 month period. Data is then completely erased after the three year period

Your rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights with regards to your personal data: -

  • The right to subject access – you have the right to see a copy of the personal data that the Council holds about you and find out what it is used for
  • The right to rectification – you have the right to ask the Council to correct or remove any inaccurate data that we hold about you
  • The right to erasure (right to be forgotten) you have the right to ask the Council to remove data that we hold about you
  • The right to restriction – you have the right to ask for your information to be restricted (locked down) on Council systems
  • The right to data portability – you have the right to ask for your data to be transferred back to you or to a new provider at your request
  • The right to object – you have the right to ask the Council to stop using your personal data or to stop sending you marketing information, or complain about how your data is used
  • The right to prevent automated decision making – you have the right to ask the Council to stop using your data to make automated decisions about you or to stop profiling your behaviour (where applicable)

To exercise any of these rights please contact Knowsley Library Service and/or email [email protected] in the first instance.

Complaints

You have the right to complain if you are unhappy with the way your request is handled, or disagree with a decision made by the Council about your data. If you want to make a complaint you can contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) and request a review of the decision on 0151 443 2543 or email [email protected]

If you are still not satisfied you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at 

The Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
Sk9 5AF

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