Privacy
Privacy
Authorized by: HCML Board of Trustees Effective Date: March 26, 2015
Relevant Forms: None Revised Date: June 24, 2021
Horry County Memorial Library is committed to protecting the privacy of its customers.
The only personal information the Library collects about customers is the information used to create and maintain a library account. The following sections of this document provide details on the usage of this information:
· Customer Circulation Records
· Customer Personal Information
Customer account information is securely stored on a server. Customers enter a unique username and pin in order to access their Library Account information.
The Library does not collect personal information about customers when they visit the Library website or register for a library program. The customer can choose to make personal information available for improving Library services. This confidentiality extends to information sought and received, and materials consulted, borrowed, and acquired. It includes database search records, circulation records, interlibrary loan records, and other personally identifiable uses of Library materials, facilities, or services.
Information Collected and Stored Automatically
As Library users browse the website and download information, certain details will be automatically gathered and stored. This information is about the customer’s website visit, not about the customer personally. Examples of information automatically collected are:
· Customer’s IP address
· Browser type
· Referring page
· Time of visit
Cookies may be used to remember customer preferences on the Library website. Customers can block cookies through their browser settings but this may prevent full access to all of the website.
The above information is used to make the Library website more useful for customers. None of the data collected is connected to the customer’s personal information or identity.
Links to Other Sites
The Library’s website contains links to other sites. The Library is not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites.
Customer Circulation Records
Personal information provided during library card registration is maintained as a record in the Library circulation system. When an item is checked out, that record is connected to the item being checked out. When the item is returned, the link between the customer record and item is removed. The Library’s circulation system does not keep a record of the items checked out by a customer, unless the customer chooses to have it do so.
The only situations when customer circulation information may be disclosed are:
· Staff of the Library acting within the scope of their duties
· Parents or legal guardians accessing the record of a child they are responsible for
· Individuals authorized by the Library cardholder to access the cardholder’s record
Customer Personal Information
Personal information is only used by the Library to provide customers with Library services. This personal information will never be sold. The Library will only disclose this information if it must comply with a legal request such as a court order or to protect the Library’s rights and properties.
The Library will not contact a customer using their personal information unless it pertains to their Library account or in response to requested information.
Third Party Vendor Services
The Library enters into agreements with third parties to provide online services. These third parties may gather and disclose information provided to them by library customers, such as:
· Personal information customers knowingly provide to register for the service, share feedback, and request information
· Information that can identify the customer such as an IP address, search history, and location based data
· Non-personal identifiable information such as ad analytics, cookie data, demographic data, and interaction data
Library customers should read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy of any third party service they access through the Library.
The privacy policy statements for the Library’s most popular third party services are located at the following links:
· Hoopla
· Ancestry
· SC Codes
· OCLC
South Carolina Privacy Laws Related to Public Libraries
The Library adheres to the following South Carolina statutes:
· SC Code § 60-4-10 Records identifying library patrons as confidential information; disclosure
· SC Code § 60-4-20 Definitions
Horry County Guidelines Related to the Library
The Library adheres to Horry County Government’s Confidentiality Policy.
The Library Director is responsible for the establishment and administration of this policy.