Privacy Policy

Your Right to Privacy

The Tinley Park Public Library is committed to protecting your privacy by keeping personally identifiable information confidential.

State law protects your library records from disclosure if a member of the public or the media requests them. Library records include any written or electronic record used to identify a customer. This includes, but is not limited to, your borrowing history, name, address, telephone number, or email address. Although the library does everything we can in order to protect your privacy, there are times when we may be required by law to provide this information. Library records may be subject to disclosure to law enforcement officials under provisions of state law, the USA PATRIOT Act, or any other federal law, or in a civil lawsuit. Library staff may be forbidden from reporting to you that your records have been requested or obtained under provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Please ask a staff member if you have questions about this policy and/or your rights to privacy in the library. We’re here to help.

Third-party vendors and your data

Tinley Park Public Library uses third-party vendors to provide digital content, including ebooks, digital audiobooks, movies, music, online resources, and more. Some of these vendors may collect and share the personally identifiable information you choose to provide them in order to use their services. You can choose not to use these third-party vendors.

The information that could be collected by third-party vendors may include:

• When you register with the third-party vendor, provide feedback and suggestions, request information, or create shared content
• Internet address (IP address), search history, location-based data, and device information
• Non-personally identifiable information, such as your ad views, analytics, browser information, cookie data, date/time of your request, demographic data, hardware/software type, interaction data, serving domains, page views, and the web page you visited immediately prior to visiting the site
• Other data as described in the vendor’s privacy policy and terms of use

The Tinley Park Public Library’s Privacy Policy does not apply to the third-party vendors we use. We suggest you review the privacy statements for individual third-party vendors to decide if you agree to their terms.

System Wide Automated Network (SWAN)

Membership The Tinley Park Public Library is also a member of SWAN Library Services, a Library Consortium that provides cataloguing services, interlibrary loan, audiobooks, online resources, and other supportive services. SWAN has its own Privacy Policy which is separate from the Tinley Park Public Library’s Privacy Policy. However, SWAN’s privacy policies also incorporate the standards required by the Library Records Confidentiality Act (75 ILCS 70/ et seq.) and other applicable state and federal laws.

Institutional Data

The library is committed to continuous improvement of its services for and with the Tinley Park community. As such, it uses specific types of information to achieve its mission, vision, and strategic goals. Taken together, this information is called “institutional data.”

“Institutional data” is information created, collected, maintained, transmitted, or recorded in ordinary operations for the library to improve its services, collections, programs, spaces, and customer experiences. It includes: (1) data used for planning, managing, and assessing library operations in an ongoing and formative manner to meet the library’s Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plan; metrics created, collected, maintained, and reported as required for the Illinois Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR) to the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian; and aggregated, anonymous data collected in surveys or via digital analytics directly related to services.

It does not include personal data which is information created, collected, maintained, transmitted, or recorded by personal or library-owned devices, media, or systems that is personal in nature and not related to library business.

The library does not collect, store, maintain, or use any personal information from patron or staff without obtaining their permission to do so. Personal information that is collected with permission is limited to what is necessary for the proper administration of the library, only used for the intended purpose for which it was collected, and is not stored beyond its intended use.

Non-personal, non-identifiable, aggregated information is used by the library for ordinary administration and institutional accountability. Access to and security of institutional data is limited to those library staff professionals as determined by the Administrator whose roles and responsibilities require it in the ordinary provision of service and consistent with its intended purpose at the time of collection.

On occasion, the library may partner with other public service agencies, educational institutions, or funders beyond what is required for the IPLAR where aggregated data may be shared in order to refine services or collaboratively address a community-identified priority. No personal information would be shared without explicit consent acquired.

Provision of many library services requires the collection and retention of personally identifiable information. Whether this is required (e.g., in order to circulate library material), automatic (e.g., as in some web-based library services), or voluntary (e.g., when engaging in a survey), this information is retained only as long as is necessary to fulfill the function for which it was initially acquired.

For expedience and service of users, use of library spaces, materials, and services, the default is consent for non-personalized information to be gathered (e.g., number of people entering the building in a day, number of people using a database, etc.). By providing contact and other personally identifiable information, you authorize the library to use your information to deliver its services to you.

Board Approved 10/28/20