Library Privacy Policy
Privacy statement for people using library services
Newcastle City Council's Libraries and Community Hubs division provides the public library service in Newcastle upon Tyne. If you visit a library, use the Newcastle Libraries online catalogue, give us a ring or make a formal complaint – among many other examples – you will be using our service.
As library and information professionals we feel strongly about intellectual freedoms. We are committed to defending and promoting the right to access information, as well as freedom of expression and the right to privacy.
This privacy statement explains what personal information we collect about you when you use Newcastle Libraries, why we collect it and what we do with it once collected; allowing you to make informed decisions when using your libraries and library services.
What we mean by personal information
By personal information or personal data we mean any piece of information relating to you that either:
- identifies you directly, for example your name or your library card number;
- helps identify you when put together with other type of information, for example your age together with the name of your street.
Some of your personal information is classed as "sensitive" and is given further protection by the law. Sensitive personal information includes: your religion, your ethnic origin, your sexual orientation, information about your health.
Your right to data protection
Your right to the protection of your personal data is guaranteed by the United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Newcastle City Council's Libraries and Community Hubs division set out why we collect your personal data and how it will be handled, as detailed in this statement. Should you need to contact us about our collection and processing of your personal data, we can be reached at [email protected] or 0191 2774100.
The Data Protection Officer for Newcastle City Council can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 0191 2116500.
You can find information about how Newcastle City Council as a whole handles your personal information in the Council's privacy notice.
More information on your rights
You have a right to be informed that your personal information is being used; this is why we have a privacy statement! Data protection laws guarantee you other specific rights regarding the personal data we hold about you.
Click on the links in this section to find out more from the Information Commissioner’s Office website. The Information Commissioner’s Office is the independent agency responsible for monitoring the correct application of data protection laws in the UK.
Why we process your personal information
Newcastle City Council has an obligation to provide a public library service under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. To comply with this obligation it is necessary for us to collect, store and use some of your personal information. For example, to be able to offer citizens the possibility of borrowing items it is necessary for us to process some personal information; we therefore require you to provide us your name, date of birth and postal address when you join the library.
In the cases where using your personal information is not a necessity but an added service we will ask for your consent before we use your information.
More information on what we collect about you, why we collect it and what we do with it once collected is detailed in each of the different situations below.
Sharing your data
We share some information with our suppliers and partners to provide you with access to library services, as explained above. We ask each of these suppliers and partners for guarantees that they protect your personal data according to our standards and in compliance with the law.
We do not share your personal information with others unless we are compelled to do so to comply with a legal obligation.
Last updated 26 April 2021 (updated eBooks suppliers)