CSB and SJU Libraries and Archives Privacy Policy

Personal Information

The CSB and SJU Libraries and Archives do not automatically collect any personally identifiable information through our website, including your name, gender, age, ID numbers or location. However, we frequently interact with our library users and receive personal information via online request forms, email exchanges, chat sessions, and other communications. If you provide personal information through one of these electronic tools, we use your information for the purpose for which you submitted it only, and do not share it with third parties, except as required under appropriate law enforcement procedures. From time to time, we may ask to collect individual user data for assessment purposes or to assist another academic professional in their work with you, but only with the explicit permission of individual users.

Automatically collected information

When you use the CSB and SJU Libraries website, our web servers collect technical information from your web browser, including the type of browser and operating system you use and the web address of the page from which you came to our site. We also use web site analysis tools such as Google Analytics, which uses cookies, for aggregate statistics related to browsing behavior on the Libraries' websites. Information that we automatically collect in this way is used by the Libraries for improving services to our patrons.

Library Account Information

CSB and SJU Libraries maintain personally identifiable information in our online systems. Your name and contact information is received from the Registrar’s Office (students) or Human Resources Office (employees) in order to enable library lending and other services. Only authorized library employees and systems support staff may access personally identifiable information stored in our computer systems, and they may do this only to conduct necessary library work. We maintain the confidentiality of your personally identifiable information and your use of library services, including the materials you borrow, request or consult, and questions you ask during reference or research consultations. We collect and store personal information you submit via the Libraries' web-based tools — such as forms related to asking reference questions, requesting and renewing books and saving search histories or resource preferences. We use this information to maintain your library account and to provide services to you. We do not make this information available to any other entity outside the Libraries, except as required under appropriate law enforcement procedures. Confidentiality of library records is governed by Minnesota Statute 13.40. The history of what patrons check out is deleted seven days after the items are returned.

Third Party Tools

The CSB and SJU Libraries subscribe to many licensed databases and other online services that we do not control. We make every effort to assure that third party tools offer privacy protections aligned with our policy. However, please note that we cannot be responsible for the privacy compliance or content of external suppliers. We encourage you to read the policies associated with these third-party services before using them.

Additional Privacy Considerations

The CSB and SJU Libraries and Archives offer digital services within the context of the institutions’ Terms and Conditions for the Use of Information Technology Resources. Under those terms, CSB and SJU IT Services reserves some rights that may supersede Library privacy policy.

Rights Reserved to IT Services:
In order to detect activity that violates access privileges, to maintain system and network security, and to manage network resources efficiently, IT Services reserves the following rights:

• The right to copy and examine any file or other information resident on institutional systems, allegedly related to unacceptable use.
• The right to take measures to protect the network from systems and events that threaten or degrade operations.
• The right to monitor access activity.
• The right to monitor individual accounts.
• The right to automatically purge student accounts at the end of each semester.
• The right to purge former employee accounts.

NOTE: All reasonable precautions are made to provide a secure computing environment, however, absolute account privacy cannot be guaranteed.

The CSB and SJU Libraries are guided by the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and accompanying interpretation regarding privacy.

Questions about the CSB and SJU Libraries’ privacy policy may be addressed to the Director of Libraries and Archives.