PRIVACY POLICY               

Privacy and Your Library Account

The library will collect personal information, with your permission, in order to set up your account and provide
you with borrowing privileges. Children 0 - 12 will need parent/legal guardian permission for the library to
obtain this information. Data gathered include name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.
Access to user records is provided to library staff members, as needed, in order to carry out the business of
the library.

Information identifying individuals will not be released to third parties except by the Library Director, or
designate, upon  receipt of a subpoena or court order or written consent from an adult patron or a minor's
parent/legal guardian.

You must provide your library card or identification in order to access your records.

Parents/legal guardians, upon request and presentation of the child's library card, will be given access to
library records for children 0-12. If the library card is not available, only the parent/legal guardian, who
signed permission on the back of the child's card and presents identification, may have access.

Young people, ages 13 to 18, are registered as adults and therefore must give consent before access is
given to their library records. Library staff is allowed to inform parents/legal guardians, upon presentation
of identification, of the number of books and /or other library materials checked out on the minor's card
and also, the amount of any money owed to the library on the minor's account.

The library's online catalogue provides access to your library records upon validation with your library card
and PIN (Personal Identification Number). You are advised to protect this information when using a public or
shared workstation by always signing out of your personal account.

A person in possession of another's library card is assumed to be the owner, or to have the owner's
permission, to use the card.

In order to protect the privacy of your record, you should notify the library immediately if you lose your library
card.

Privacy When You Visit the Library's Web Site

When you visit the library's web site, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) makes a record of your visit. This
record will include the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that contacted he reference web service,
the date and time of the visit, and the pages viewed. This information may be compiled for statistical purposes.
No attempt will be made to link these addresses to the identity of an individual visiting the web site unless an
attempt to damage the site has been detected.

The Colchester-East Hants Public Library will not collect personal information, other than e-mail addresses,
from children 12 and under without parent/legal guardian consent. E-mail addresses of children will only be
used to respond directly to e-mails received.

From time to time, images of library clients may be featured on the  library's web site or in other materials.
Images may be retained as part of the library's archive. These images will not be displayed without
signed approval.

Legal Responsibilities

Great care has been taken in providing electronic information on the Colchester-East Hants Public Library
web site and its linked sites to ensure compliance with local, provincial and federal laws; however, the
library is not responsible for information provided by, or the privacy policies maintained by, external sites.
You are encouraged to become familiar with the privacy practices of other sites visited.

Policy Changes

Changes to the Colchester-East Hants Public Library Privacy Policy may be made occasionally as new
services and content are added to the web site or library policies are revised. We encourage you to view
this document periodically to stay informed of privacy guidelines.

Comments / Questions?

Comments and questions about the library's privacy policy may be sent online using the Ask a Librarian
feature on the web site (cehlibrary.ednet.ns.ca), by phone (902) 895-4183, fax (902) 895-7149 or mail
to Colchester-East Hants Public Library, 754 Prince Street, Truro, Nova Scotia   B2N 1G9

Adopted by the Colchester-East Hants Public Library Board, November 23, 2004