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Confidentiality and Privacy

Jump to: Record Types | Third-Party Vendor Privacy Policies

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We believe it is central to intellectual freedom and free speech, free thought, and free association. State Law protects library accounts under Iowa Code Chapter 22.

Access to your library account information is limited to authorized Library staff, except in the following circumstances:

A person will have access to your account if you give them your card or card number. If your card is missing, please report it to us as lost or stolen.

Your account may be given to authorities when a court order or subpoena is issued.

Third-party vendors providing digital content have their own privacy policies.

It is not private information that you are in the Library or the Bookmobile. Security cameras are in use to protect the safety and security of the public, the Library and Bookmobile, and their contents.

Library programs or public meetings may be recorded or photographed.

Individual third-party websites requiring their own logins may track your behavior and share your data while accessed from our public computers.

When the value of billed items is excessive, we may share the information with a collection agency, or in extreme cases, law enforcement, in order to help retrieve items.

Children and Parents

Children may decide if they give parents access to their account.

Young adults should consider updating their account and decide if they want their parent’s contact information listed.

Parents have access to information about long overdue items that are billed on their child’s account.

Read our full Confidentiality and Privacy Policy for more information.

Record Types

We collect and retain information to provide and improve services as well as to protect the safety of our patrons, building, collection and other assets. What we keep, its purpose, and for how long we keep it is outlined below.

At Home Borrowing Histories Digital

To prevent sending duplicate materials. To build a profile of preferred authors and types of materials.

Kept: Until withdrawing from program

At Home Enrollment Forms Paper

Enrollment agreement to have borrowing records retained.

Kept: Until withdrawing from program

Book End Key Checkout Paper

Sign-out sheet for the Development Office's Book End store key; includes name of volunteer and the time the key was signed out.

Kept: 1 month

Borrower Application Paper

To help with problem resolution.

Kept: End of shift

Borrowing History Digital

Opt-in service. Borrowing History creates a log of title/author information and date of transaction. Accessible by logging into the catalog. Information may be accessed by staff in case of emergency.

Kept: Indefinitely, until deleted by user

Bounced Check Information Paper

Retained for audit purposes.

Kept: 7 years

Bus Pass Database Digital

To determine if a patron has reached the limit of two passes for week.

Kept: 2 months

Calls to Library Switchboard Digital

Automatically recorded. Recordings only used if there is a conduct or safety situation. Calls are not monitored in real time.

Kept: 1 week

Chat or Email Help Requests Digital

Includes the form and chat button on the "Ask Us" web page. Users' email address, IP address are recorded. If patrons provide other personal information to the staff such as barcode, that data is also retained. Kept to help the patron as well as for analysis and statistics purposes.

Kept: 120 days

Circulation Transactions Digital

Circulation transactions including the time, type of transaction and item information are retained for statistical purposes. Patron information associated with the transaction is stripped out.

Kept: Indefinitely

Claim of Return Emails Digital

To help with problem resolution.

Kept: 6 weeks

Computer Activity Digital

Any files created or downloaded including browser history, browser cache, browser downloads, images, cookies, as well as files copied from flash drives are deleted when computer is logged off.

Kept: Until session ends

Computer Use Digital

Logs show who used a computer, when, and for how long. Kept for statistics and occasionally to identify people for conduct issues.

Kept: Up to 30 days

Conduct Database Digital

Informs staff about people exhibiting inappropriate conduct, helps identify repeat offenders, and keeps a record of suspensions.

Kept: Indefinitely

Current Checkouts, Fines, & Claims-Returned Digital

Record shows items currently being borrowed, items with paid or outstanding fines, items with associated bills, and items claimed-returned.

Kept: 3 years for paid fines and bills; Indefinitely for claimed-returned

Current Interlibrary Loan Orders and Checkouts Digital

Person and title information is used to track the status of interlibrary loan requests and loans.

Kept: Until item is returned to loaning library

Deleted Social Media Posts Digital

To document posts that do not meet guidelines.

Kept: Indefinitely

Digital History Project Permission Forms and Metadata Digital

Permission forms to gain rights to display content such as images, documents, video files, etc. on our Digital History Project website. If desired by the contributor, acknowledgment will be given in the item's information on the site.

Kept: Kept indefinitely

Display Space Reservation Form Paper

Contact information for people requesting display space. Kept for statistics.

Kept: 1 year

Donor Database Digital

Donor name, contact information, amount and type of donation as well as notes about gifts received from individuals, businesses, and organizations are managed in Donor Perfect, a cloud-based donor database. Used for thanking donors for their contribution.

Kept: Indefinitely

Emails to Staff Digital

All emails to icpl.org domain are automatically archived by the City of Iowa City IT department for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) purposes.

Kept: 3 years

Event Registration Digital

To create lists for classes and events; includes name, address, and email information.

Kept: 2 months after event has ended

Form 990 Tax Return Paper

Name, mailing address, and amount of all contributions of $5,000 or more received are required to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation (ICPLFF) annual information return, Form 990. Bontrager Tax, Accounting & Consulting, LLC receives the information in order to prepare the ICPLFF Form 990. Contribution information is not available to the public on the required public copy of the annual Form 990 available in the Development Office.

Kept: Seven years

Holds Information Digital

Record of unfilled holds and holds awaiting pickup. Searchable by patron or title.

Kept: Until filled or cancelled

ILS and Catalog Backup Data Digital

To restore patron and bibliographic databases and borrowing information if system crashed.

Kept: Weekly tape backup; Network backups for 20 days

In-House Equipment Checkout Digital

Tracks usage of items borrowed for in-house use from public service desks; requires library card number or name of user from ID.

Kept: 1 week

Interlibrary Loan Borrowing Histories Paper

Person and title information kept for statistics and to answer questions from loaning libraries about interlibrary loan transactions.

Kept: 6 months for books and audiovisual materials; 3 years for magazine photocopies due to copyright restrictions

Interlibrary Loan Requests Digital

Contact information is kept for problem resolution while the request is being processed. Record of the request is retained for the next 180 for analysis by our selection team, but no patron information is associated with the request after 120 days of resolution.

Kept: 120 days after request resolved for patron information; 180 days for ILL title information

Jail Borrower Information Paper

Links inmate name to borrower record number. Borrower record numbers are reused due to highly mobile population. Kept to track damage and to comply with jail contract and procedures.

Kept: 3 weeks after last request from borrower

Last Borrower per Item Digital

Used to identify in case of damage, missing pieces, or personal items left in library materials.

Kept: Until item is borrowed and returned again; or until item record is deleted

Lost & Paid Items Digital

System automatically produces a note in patron's record when a billed item is paid for that includes title, author, date paid, and cost information. Kept for problem resolution.

Kept: Indefinitely

Meeting Room Key Sign-Out Paper

To identify person responsible in case of damage.

Kept: 1 month

Meeting Room Reservations Digital

When making meeting room reservations, required contact information includes address and phone number, with optional email address.

Kept: 1 year for public access; 3 years for staff

My Lists Digital

Opt-in service. Wishlists, known as My Lists, allows users to save items in the catalog for later viewing. Accessible by logging into the catalog. Notice is provided that information may be accessible to staff.

Kept: Indefinitely, unless deleted by user

Nonprofit corporation records Digital

Names of volunteer board members of the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation (ICPLFF) are maintained in the board minutes as required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Kept: Indefinitely

Notes on Questions from Patrons Paper

Kept while staff conduct research or if need to follow up with patron.

Kept: Until communicated to patron

Online donation database Digital

Donor name, contact information, amount of donation, credit card number and expiration date as well as security code, are processed online through Greater Giving, a cloud-based donor database. Greater Giving is in compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.

Kept: Indefinitely

Online Purchase Requests Digital

Contact information is kept to follow up with a request or to place a hold once item is purchased. Record of the request is retained for the next 6 months for analysis by our selection team, but no patron information is associated with the request after 120 days.

Kept: 120 days after request resolved for patron information; 6 months for purchase request information

Patron Activity Digital

Patron activity such as card registrations, digital service authentication, circulation transaction type and activity date are retained for statistical and assessment purposes. No information about materials requested or digital content accessed is retained.

Kept: Indefinitely

Patron Record Digital

Patron records contain contact information such as address, phone number, and email address. Records are purged annually. Records with less than $20 in fines are removed after 3 years of inactivity. Records with less than $200 in fines are removed after 7 years of inactivity. Records with less than $500 are removed after 10 years of inactivity.

Kept: Varies

Recorded Phone Conversations Digital

Calls are recorded when public makes threats or when calls violate our Library Use policy.

Kept: Indefinitely

Security Camera Video Digital

Used to identify behavior associated with incident reports. Images related to incident reports may be saved indefinitely on networked computer drive. This is public record per the City Attorney's office.

Kept: Between 7 and 42 days

Server Logs Digital

Servers regularly log data. Logs are not used or examined on a regular basis. Kept for routine network administration needs, including diagnostics. May contain IP or MAC addresses of users.

Kept: Varies from days to months depending on the server

Special event guest lists Digital

Name, phone, and email of guests at special fundraising events hosted by the ICPLFF are retained on Development Office computers in case it is necessary to contact guests prior to the event. A paper list of guest names is prepared for use at the event.

Kept: Seven years

Staff Picks...Just for You requests Digital

Requests are used by staff to give personalized recommendations. Includes email, item types and interests, and other notes as provided.

Kept: 180 days

Study Room Checkout Digital

Tracks usage of study rooms; requires library card number or name of user from ID

Kept: 1 week

Third Party Providers Digital

Third party vendors provide some library services and content, such as eBooks, summer reading program registrations, and online learning resources. These vendor's privacy and confidentiality polices may differ from ours. Patrons should consult the third party privacy section for more info.

Kept: Varies depending on the service provider

Wifi Usage Digital

Logged for maintenance and statistics. Not actively monitored or saved. Logs contain amount of data used, access times and the device's MAC address, but do not contain the type or source of the data.

Kept: Varies, generally several months

Third-Party Vendor Privacy Policies

Our Confidentiality and Privacy Policy may not extend to the services and content we offer through third party vendors, which range from digital collections to reference resources to some of our background systems.

If you use library services provided through these companies, your interaction is subjected to the privacy policies and confidentiality practices of that specific vendor.

Check their privacy statements to learn more about what data they store and how they use it.