Privacy Policy

1. Purpose of Policy.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Library (LEKTL) is committed to protecting the privacy of library customers and the confidentiality of customer information. Privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information (PII) about users and keeps that information private on their behalf. Certain measures are in place, therefore, to protect both patron privacy and confidentiality. Access to information contained within this system is strictly limited to only staff members on a need-to-know basis. Library records are confidential and protected from disclosure. Without permission of the library customer, the Library will not release library records to any individual, organization, or to any agency of federal, state, or local government except pursuant to a court order, warrant, or subpoena, as authorized under applicable federal, state or local law.

2. Notice Regarding Privacy of Customer Records

All Library records relating to an individual Library customer's use of the Library and its resources are confidential. LEKTL will only collect and use personal information deemed necessary to provide library services to users. The Library will avoid creating or collecting unnecessary records, will store records securely, retain records only as long as needed to conduct library business, refrain from practices that might place private information on public view, and will dispose of records securely.

Cardholder Information: The following information, collected or submitted by customers through the LEKTL website, in person, or by phone, in order to facilitate Library business, is stored on LEKTL’s servers and is only accessible by LEKTL staff, law enforcement pursuant to a court order, warrant or subpoena, the cardholder, or persons authorized by the cardholder to access their account. LEKTL stores personal information on servers with safety measures in order to protect against the unauthorized access to, or the compromise of, information contained on these servers. Information includes but is not limited to:

• Name Address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Library card number
• Date of birth
• Personal identification number (PIN)
• Password
• Listing of materials currently or previously checked out
• Listing of items requested for hold
• All information listed above for Alternate Borrowers

3. Choice and Consent.

LEKTL must obtain certain information about a user in order to establish a library account; library customers who elect to register for a library card must provide this information. LEKTL will keep all personal information confidential unless compelled under the law to disclose it. The library will take action as necessary to determine that any court order, or process issued by any court, or pursuant to any purported legal authority, requires that such records be made available.

Subscription resources offered through the library, such as databases or digital resources, may require the library customer to submit information to a third party vendor. Customers who elect to use these services are encouraged to read and become familiar with vendor privacy policies before registering, and to make the choice that works for them with regard to third party vendor privacy practices. See Section 5 of this policy for further information on third party vendors and external websites.

The Library does not sell or license personal information.

4. Access by Users.

Users have the right to access their own Personally Identifiable Information (PII), associated with their library account. Access to personal information by users is available on the library’s catalog site with verification of identity. Cardholder verification of the accuracy and status of PII helps ensure that Library services that rely on PII can function properly. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to assure that their information is correct and up to date.

LEKTL is committed to safeguarding access to all patron records, regardless of the age of the patron. In accordance with Library Policy staff are not able to provide confidential information about children’s library records to parents/guardians without the child’s consent.

5. External websites and Third Party Vendors.

The Library website contains links to, or the library’s public computers may be used to access, external websites not maintained by the Library. LEKTL cannot be responsible for patron privacy when visiting websites other than the Library’s.

The Library has established business agreements with reputable third party vendors in order to provide specific services to meet the needs of the community. The library will only provide third party vendors with sufficient information to verify that customers are eligible to borrow or access the vendor’s resources (such as the library card number and/or customer name and password).

Third party vendors are governed by their own terms and conditions, privacy policies, and practices, not the Library's. LEKTL advises library customers to review terms of service and privacy policies before registering/agreeing to use any online service. Third party services may gather, store, and disclose customer information, including but not limited to the following:

• PII provided by the customer, including registration requirements for the site, providing feedback and suggestions, requesting information or creating shared content;
• Other information that could be used to identify users, such as IP addresses, search or borrowing histories, location based data and device ID;
• Non-personally identifiable information, such as ad views, analytics, browser information (type and language), cookie data, date/time of requests, demographic data, hardware/software type, interaction data, serving domains, page views and the web page visited immediately prior to visiting the site, and
• Other data that third party services may collect as described in the vendor’s privacy policy and terms of use. When LEKLT customers leave the Library's site to visit an external website or third party vendor’s site they are no longer subject to LEKTL Privacy and Confidentiality policy, but rather to the privacy policy and practices of the non-library website.

The responsibility for understanding and agreeing to the terms, conditions, and privacy statements of non-library sites, and making a personal decision about the acceptability of those privacy parameters, rests with the individual customer.

6. Security Cameras.

LEKTL strives to maintain a safe and secure environment. In pursuit of this objective, selected areas of the Library and/or library property may be under video surveillance and recording. The Library’s video surveillance system will be used only for the protection and safety of library users, employees, assets, property, and to identify persons breaking the law or violating the Library’s Rule of Conduct. Conversations or other audible communication will not be monitored or recorded by the security cameras.

Security Camera Location. Camera placement will be determined by the Library Director or her/his designee. Cameras may be placed in locations where patrons and staff would not have an expectation of privacy such as parking lots and delivery areas. Cameras will not be installed in areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as restrooms, nor will they be positioned to identify a person’s reading, viewing or listening activities in the Library.

Data Storage. Cameras will record activities in real time and images will be saved to the camera server’s hard drive. Cameras will not be monitored continuously by the Library. Images will be automatically deleted as the capacity of the hard drive is reached, unless pertinent activity is recorded.

Access to Recorded Data. Information obtained through video monitoring and/or recording is only accessible to designated LEKT staff and law enforcement pursuant to subpoena. Retention of saved recordings and requests for public disclosure shall be governed by Tribal Policy.