Policy Statement
August 28, 2023
Fraser Valley Regional Library (the “Library”) is committed to protecting personal privacy. Any personal information collected, used, or disclosed by the Library is in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and other applicable legislation.
Scope
This statement applies to all personal information held by the Library, including personal information related to its operations, to personal information collected from users of its services and programs, and to your use of our website, www.fvrl.bc.ca (the “Website”).
Collection and Use
The Library collects both personal information and anonymous information in order to provide library services to users. Personal information is any information that could potentially identify a specific individual. The Library may collect the following types of information from and about you:
- Personal information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address and date of birth;
- Library services information such as items checked out or requested, cancelled holds, interlibrary loans, overdue items (until returned), fee history (for lost or damaged items), sign-up information for library events and programs, questions or feedback received from you, your library card number;
- Security information such as your image in the course of our building security systems, including video surveillance systems;
- Donation information including your credit card number, the amount of your donation, the date of your donation;
- Technical information such as your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and your use of our Website.
Personal information may be collected for uses such as: access to library materials, services, and programs; room rentals; communications; collection of fees; fundraising; protection of Library property; security of users and staff; non-identifying statistical purposes; to provide you with information about the Library including upcoming events; and in the limited circumstances provided for in FIPPA.
The Library will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information held by it is accurate, complete, and up-to-date and will correct an individual’s personal information if it learns from the individual that the information is incorrect. If you need us to correct your name or any other information that identifies you, please contact us at privacy@fvrl.bc.ca.
Disclosure
The Library will not rent or sell personal information. The Library will not disclose personal information to third parties except in accordance with the exceptions permitted under FIPPA.
The Library may disclose personal information in the following circumstances:
- If necessary, for the purposes for which the personal information was collected;
- If necessary for the purposes of delivering services to you or to respond to a request for service by you;
- To provide certain library digital products and services may require that the Library shares your personal information with a service provider and/or that an individual shares personal information to create a separate account with the service provider. When the Library offers digital products or services that require the user to share personal information or to create an account, FVRL will implement a consent process.
- To Canada Helps to process your donation.
- Compliance with Laws. If necessary, personal information may be disclosed to comply with a subpoena, a warrant, or an order by a court, person, or body in Canada with the jurisdiction to compel the production of information, or to respond to a specific written request from a law enforcement agency to assist in a specific investigation, or as otherwise required by law
Access
All library user records are considered confidential. Your library record may be accessed by:
- Library staff performing job duties
- You, with your library card or upon proof of identity
- A person with your library card number
- Please keep your library PIN private and report lost or stolen cards immediately
- To a third-party contractor that provides services to the Library, as necessary for the purposes for which the personal information was collected.
Retention
The Library will not retain any personal information longer than necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer period is required by law.
The Library may, however, retain personal information related to library services and programs when users opt in to allow the library to do so; for example, to enhance or personalize library services and programs.
Library Materials and Borrowing History
The library does not keep a record of your borrowing history beyond operational requirements. Once you return an item, it is removed from your account. If you are a user of our Library For You program, your borrowing history is kept longer with your permission, in order to assist staff in selecting materials for you.
Public Computers, Devices and Wireless Network
The library does not keep a record of your activities on any public computer or device, or the library’s wireless network. Any record of browsing history or activity is removed when you log out, return the device, or disconnect.
Minors
Minors have the same privacy rights as adults with respect to their personal information, including their borrowing history and participation in library programs. The Library does not monitor Minors’ use of library services and collections. A parent or guardian may act for a minor in relation to certain specific sections of FIPPA if the minor is incapable of exercising their own rights under that section.
Our Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we use your personal information to send you communications to keep you updated on our services, upcoming events and the resources available to you. You can unsubscribe from receiving these emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included at the bottom of each email or by contacting our Privacy Officer.
Personal Information Security
We take reasonable steps, using technical, administrative and contractual measures to protect personal information in our custody or under our control. Access to personal information is limited to those employees, volunteers and service providers who need access to carry out the purposes for which the information was collected and otherwise as described in this Statement. Our third party contractors are required to agree to contractual terms to protect the security and privacy of any personal information that they have access to.
No data transmission over the Internet or data storage system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we strive to use reasonable precautions to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Third-party vendors
The Library works with third-party vendors to provide online services, digital collections, streaming media content and more. As such, our Website may include links to other third-party websites, such as BiblioCommons, Overdrive/Libby and LinkedIn Learning. For any linked websites that are not owned or controlled by us, please review that website’s privacy policy and terms of service before disclosing your personal information. When you leave the library website, your interaction with these systems will be governed by their individual privacy policies. Some of these vendors may collect and share information you provide to them or require you to create a personal account in order to use their services. Check the vendor’s privacy statement and terms of service to learn more about how your data is tracked, stored, and used by them. Inquire with the vendors directly if you have any specific questions about their data collection and management policies. We are not responsible for the collection, use and disclosure practices of companies or organizations to which our sites may provide links.
Cookies
A “cookie” is a text file placed on a device when a user visits a website and they allow our system to recognize you whenever you use our Website.
To provide you with the best possible experience of our Website, we place a cookie on your device. Each time you return to our Website, the Website recognizes the stored cookies and sends that visit information about the user’s online activity back to the Website. Cookies can be used to recognize you when you visit our Website, remember your preferences, and give you a personalized experience that’s consistent with your settings. Cookies also make your interactions faster and more secure.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent or you can choose to turn off all cookies through your browser’s settings. Please note that if you disable cookies in your browser, some of our Website’s features that make your site experience more efficient will be disabled and some of our services will not function properly.
Google Analytics
Our Sites use Google Analytics (and Google Signals), a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics may collect information about your use of the Website, including your IP address. Google uses cookies to gather and analyze about visits to our Website, such as number of visitors, the websites from which visitors have navigated to our Website, and the pages on our Website to which visitors navigate. More information on Google Analytics can be found at the following link: www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners.
Changes and Updates
This statement is effective as of the date listed at the beginning of this page.
We may update this statement at any time. You can verify if this statement has changed by checking the last updated date that appears at the beginning of this page. We encourage you to frequently check this page for any changes and to stay informed about our privacy practices. You should not continue using our services if you do not agree with the version of this statement in effect at that time. Any changes will be effective only after the effective date of the change and will not affect any dispute arising prior to the effective date of the change.
Questions or Concerns?
Anyone with questions or concerns about this statement or its application should contact the Privacy Officer.
For general inquiries, please visit or contact your local Fraser Valley Regional Library.
