Calvert Library Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Calvert Library Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

We are committed to the privacy and security of personal information and privacy and
confidentiality concerning the use of our services. The purpose of this Privacy and
Confidentiality Policy (“Policy”) is to provide you with information about how Calvert Library
(“the library”) collects, uses, shares, and safeguards certain of the information it gathers.

About This Policy.

Except as otherwise provided, the Policy applies to:

• Use of our library services, including our websites and applications
• Phone and email communications
• Social media interactions on our websites and other third-party websites like
• Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter

The nature of our business requires that we gather and maintain information that is of a
personal nature that you may wish to keep protected. This Policy does not apply to third-party
websites and applications we make available through our website, vendors or partners.

This Policy is based in part on the ethics and practices of professional librarianship, and in
accordance with the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics, “we protect each library
user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and
resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.”

We are committed to privacy and confidentiality for all library users, consistent with applicable
federal, state, and local laws.

In general, Maryland state law (MD Code, GP §4-308; ED § 23-108) protects your library records
against unlawful “inspection, use, or disclosure” and provides specific legal criteria under which
records can be inspected, used or disclosed. Protected library records include user names,
personally identifiable information, use of the library’s materials, services or facilities, such as
information and materials consulted or borrowed, database search records, public access
computer use, circulation records, interlibrary loan records and program registration records. In
keeping with the American Library Association’s Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records and
Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information About Library Users and
Maryland State law (MD Code, GP, § 4-308; ED, § 23-108), Calvert Library staff will not respond
to any informal request by a third party for personally identifiable information about any library
user. Personally identifiable information may be released to a law enforcement agency or
officer only after presentation by the law enforcement agency or officer, of an order by a court
of competent jurisdiction issued in proper form (a court issued subpoena or search warrant)
and/or under the provisions of the USA Patriot Act.

Library records may be subject to disclosure to law enforcement officials under provisions of
state law, the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56), or in a civil lawsuit. Librarians may be
forbidden from reporting to you that your records have been requested or obtained under
provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Consistent with MD Code, GP, § 4-308; ED, § 23-108, we will not make library records available
to any agency of state, federal, or local government unless a subpoena, warrant, court order, or
other investigatory document is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, showing good
cause and in proper form. All law enforcement inquiries for library records will be referred to
the Library Executive Director.

Please read this Policy carefully before using library services, this website or submitting
information to us. By accessing library services or visiting this website, you indicate your
understanding that the collection, use, and sharing of your information is subject to the terms
of this Policy. If you do not consent to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as
described in this Policy, please do not provide us with such information.

Changes to this Policy.

We reserve the right to change this Policy at any time. In the event we make material change(s)
to the Policy, they will be effective immediately upon posting to the website and will apply after
the “effective date” listed above. You understand and agree that your continued use of library
services or the website after the effective date, means that the collection, use, and sharing of
your information is subject to the updated Policy.

The Information Calvert Library Collects

In general, Calvert Library collects, receives, and maintains information about the use and
activity customers make of our library’s materials, services, or facilities. More specifically, this
information relates to such customers’ use of our resources, such as information they seek or
receive, and the resources they consult, borrow, acquire, or transmit. The following are
examples of this information.

•  Information required to register for a library card (for example, name, address, library card number, telephone number, email address, birthdate)
•  Grade level and school (used for CRAB Cards and library programming)
•  Materials currently checked out (until returned, unless the user activates reading history using the My Account function in the catalog)
•  Previous borrower information for materials
•  Fees owed and payments made
•  Information to sign up for library programs
•  Information about topics searched for and materials requested
•  Website data to measure and analyze visitors, usage and activity
•  Usage and activity data of third party vendor library services, such as research databases and digital materials

The Way We Use This Information

This information enables us to provide access to a library account, to other library services and
allows the library to perform and improve essential functions. In setting this Policy, the library
seeks to provide the ideal balance of privacy, customer service and convenience. Personal
information may be used in the following ways, but is not limited to:

•  Assisting customers with their accounts
•  Maintaining internal records
•  Carrying out our obligations and enforce our rights including those arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing, payment, and collections. This includes, without limitation, sending notifications regarding customer accounts, such as holds, materials checked out, accounts about to expire, fees and items overdue
•  Contacting you and/or providing you with email alerts, event registrations and other notices concerning our products or services, or events or news, that may be of interest to you.
•  Analyzing library usage data to improve services
•  Contacting library users for research purposes to help improve services
•  Resolving cases of violations of library rules and regulations
•  Engaging in marketing activities, including to help design products and services appropriate for our users.
•  Communicating with you in social media concerning our products and services.
•  Testing, research, analysis and product and service development.
•  Responding to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, governmental regulations, or other lawful processes.
•  Processing applications for employment, as well as to evaluate and improve our recruiting efforts.
•  As necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, security, and safety of us, our employees, our users, our information systems, and the public.
•  Evaluating or conducting a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other transaction or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by us is among the assets transferred.

Personally identifiable information will remain confidential and will not be sold, licensed or
disclosed to any third party, except those vendors working under contract with the library, as
required by law, or as otherwise described in this Policy. For information about the ways third
party vendors may use or disclose your information, please see the “Third party vendor
services” section later in this Policy.

Third party vendor services

Calvert Library contracts with third party vendors to provide expanded services, such as digital
collections, research databases, streaming media content and devices able to be connected to
the internet. Calvert Library makes concerted efforts to ensure that the library’s contracts,
licenses and off-site computer service arrangements reflect the library’s policies and legal
obligations concerning user privacy and confidentiality.
Third party vendors may gather and disclose your information according to their own policies,
such as,

•  Personally identifiable information you knowingly provide, including when you register for the site, provide feedback and suggestions, request information or create shared content
•  Other information that could be used to identify a library user, such as your IP address, search history, location-based data and/or device ID
•  Non-personally identifiable information, such as your ad views, analytics, browser information (type and language), cookie data, date/time of a request, demographic data, hardware/software type, interaction data, serving domains, page views and the web page you have visited immediately prior to visiting the site
•  Other data that third party services may collect as described in the vendor’s privacy policy and terms of use

Protecting your library card and PIN/password

Keeping account information up-to-date