The Library is committed to protecting the privacy
of our users, customers, members, donors, and friends. We
believe that maintaining our patrons' privacy
is important, and we have created this Privacy Policy
so that our patrons can learn what the Library does
with information it may obtain about its patrons. By
using the Library's services, including its website,
and by communicating with the Library, you agree to
be bound by the terms of this Privacy Policy.
Type of Information Collected
In general, the Library does not collect personally
identifiable information about individuals—such
as names and postal or e-mail addresses—except
when such information is voluntarily provided by the
patron. Personally identifiable information is
obtained from online transactions such as purchases,
registrations, or contributions. Additionally,
personally identifiable information may be obtained
in connection with other activities, services, or resources
made available on our website, in person at one of
our facilities, or (as set forth in the following sentence)
through e-mails sent by us to our patrons. In
order to help us to better tailor our services and
offerings, the Library collects limited information
about patron click-throughs, solely in connection with The
New York Public Library News e-newsletter and
the Membership Department's e-mail communications.
Like many websites, the Library's website also automatically
logs certain aggregate information about visits to
our website. This information is used for
system administration and for producing usage statistics.
Use of Your Information
Unless the Library explicitly states otherwise and
except as set forth in this Privacy Policy, any personally
identifiable information provided to the Library
is maintained by and accessible only to the Library.
Except as set forth herein (or as required by law
or as necessary for the proper operation of the Library),
we will not release personally identifiable information
about our patrons, including their use of Library
materials and resources (whether electronic or in
print, including, but not limited to, circulation
records and specific internet or website resources).
The Library compiles aggregate demographic data
related to our patrons to better manage our services
and to provide aggregate information to potential
funders of the Library's programs. The
Library may also use personally identifiable information
you submit to inform you of Library programs, services,
and activities, including exhibitions, events, programs,
and membership opportunities. The Library does
not share or exchange email addresses with other
organizations. The Library does not rent or sell
its donor mailing list but may sometimes exchange
names and addresses with other organizations. You
may indicate to the Library at any time whether or
not you wish to have the Library share your name
with other organizations. When making
online donations, donors may indicate preferences
for information sharing. Donors may also contact
the Development
Office.
Updating Your Information
Patrons
who would like to update information and preferences
in connection with Library newsletters, mailing
lists, and databases should refer to this list
for contact information. In all instances, patrons
can stop receiving e-newsletters sent by the Library
by clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link
at the bottom of each such e-newsletter.
Third-Party Partners
The Library has teamed up with reputable third-party
partners in order to provide certain services to
its patrons. The information you submit
to the Library may be provided to those third parties
on a confidential basis so that they can assist
us in providing certain services, including English
Classes for Speakers of Other Languages and activities
that require us to maintain databases and/or process
credit card transactions and donations. In
cases where patrons leave the Library's website
to visit one of its partners' websites, patrons
are encouraged to become familiar with the privacy
policies of the websites they visit.
Security
The Library has reasonable physical, electronic,
and managerial measures in place to prevent unauthorized
access to the information we collect. We do
not, however, claim any responsibility for information
collected by or from websites linking to or from
the Library's website.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your
browser from a website and stored on your computer's
hard drive. Cookies cannot read data from
your hard disk or read cookie files that were created
by other websites—the website that creates
a cookie is the only one that a browser will permit
to access it. Examples of ways in which the
Library might use cookies would be to customize content
areas or to analyze site activity.
If you are concerned about the use of cookies, the
Library suggests that you explore your browser's
options to notify you whenever a cookie is set, or
to disallow cookies altogether. Patrons should
be aware, however, that prohibiting the use of cookies
may restrict the patron's access to certain types
of content or features.
Children
Parents should remind their children to ask their
permission before providing personal information
to any website or purchasing any products or services
online. The Library urges all parents to participate
in their children's exploration of the internet and
to teach them about protecting their personal information
while online. For further information, see A
Safety Net for the Internet: A Parent's Guide.
Policy Changes
This Privacy Policy may be revised to reflect changes
in the Library's policies and practices or to reflect
new services and content provided by the Library. Patrons
are encouraged to check this document periodically
to stay informed of the Library's current
privacy guidelines.
Revised 4/18/07
Contact Information
