Customer Privacy Statement
Our Commitment
The Bartholomew County Public Library is committed to protecting the privacy and
confidentiality of customer records. The library will not sell, share or trade our customers’
names, personal identifiable information, or library account information with any other entity
customers on behalf of other organizations not directly affiliated with the Bartholomew County
Public Library.
Confidentiality of Patron Library Records
To protect the privacy of Library customers, the Library shall not disclose any
Library record that identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific
materials, information, services, or as otherwise having used the Library other
than in the following situations:
 Library staff performing job duties
 When issued a valid subpoena or warrant
 When requested by the parent or legal guardian of a minor
 Upon written consent of the user
 When an account with lost material or unpaid fines is turned over to a collection agency
Within these exceptions, only limited and precise information is disclosed to satisfy the specific
need of the request.
Information Collected
The library strives to collect the least amount of personally identifiable information from
customers. We keep your information as long as required by Indiana State Law. The library
does not engage in practices that might place personally identifiable information on public view
without customer consent.
It is standard library practice to collect the following information:
 Information required to register for a library card such as name, address, telephone
number, email address, birthdate
 Library barcode number or guest pass number used to log on to public computers
 Records of items currently checked-out, requested, interlibrary loans, fines/fees owed,
payments made. We do not keep a record of items that have been checked out once
they have been checked back in.
 Sign-up information for library programs
The library uses Google Analytics and other statistical programs to collect data about the use of
our website and public Wi-Fi to make improvements and track trends. Data collected includes:
 Browser type
 Device type
 Engagement information (sessions, session duration, pageviews)
 Geography (internet service provider location, language)
 Network service provider
 Operating system
 Referrals (web address customer coming from)
Any personally identifiable information given to the library in email messages, web forms, in-
person or telephone reference, or other communications is used only for the purpose for which it
was originally collected.
Access to Customer Information
Library customers may access their personally identifiable information and are responsible for
keeping it accurate and up-to-date. This can be done online or in person. Proof of identity is
required to update information in person and a PIN is required to update information online.
Website and Public Computers
The library uses software programs that monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts
to upload or change information intended to cause damage. No other attempts are made to
identify individual customers or their usage habits.
The library uses restoration software to remove personal data and browsing history each time a
customer ends their session on a public computer. Library card numbers and Guest Passes are
used to reserve public computers. This data is collected for a period of 90 days and used by the
Bartholomew County Public Library to forecast the community’s need for public computer
access. After 90 days this data is purged.
Cookies:
The Bartholomew County Public Library Web site uses “cookies” to help you personalize your
online experience. One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenient feature to
save you time. For example, if you personalize Bartholomew County Public Library pages, or
register with Bartholomew County Public Library site or services, a cookie helps recall your
specific information on subsequent visits. When you return to the same website, the information
you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the Bartholomew Public Library
features that you customized.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not
be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Bartholomew County Public Library
services or Web sites you visit.
Third-Party Vendors
The library enters into agreements with third-party vendors to provide online services, digital
collections, streaming media content and more. Because third-party vendors have their own
privacy policies and confidentiality practices, your interaction with their systems will be governed
by their individual privacy policies.
Surveillance
The library uses digital video surveillance inside and outside of most of our library
locations. Digital video is kept for approximately 14 days. Video is only available to view by
authorized library staff.
Enforcement
Library customers who have questions, concerns or complaints regarding the library’s handling
of their privacy and confidentiality rights should request to speak to a library manager. The
library will respond in a timely manner and may conduct an investigation or review of practices
and procedures.
We authorize only the Library Director to receive or comply with requests from law enforcement
officers; we confer with our legal counsel before determining the proper response. 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 that shows good cause and is in proper form. We have trained all Library
staff and volunteers to refer any law enforcement inquiries to Library administrators.
The library takes seriously its obligation to protect the privacy of every customer. This
commitment to customers’ privacy may appear to cause inconvenience on occasion. However,
this is a small price to pay for the assurance that an individual’s reading preferences and use of
the library will remain exclusively a person’s business.