HSMC Library and Information Service privacy notice

We collect information about you when you join the Library by completing a registration form. We also collect additional information during your membership. The information we collect includes, but is not limited to:

• Your core record: The information collected and entered by us during your membership, such as your name (and previous names if applicable), home address and other contact details, will form your core record.
• Records on your use of the Library collection.

In addition to this, we may occasionally need to process some data about you that is classed as ‘special category’ or sensitive personal data, which may include reasonable adjustments you may require. If we need to collect and process this type of data, we will ask you for consent to do this and we will explain why we need it and how we will use it when we collect it from you.

The Library will process your personal data for a range of purposes.  These include the following:

• to deliver library services to registered users,
• to plan for and provide help or reasonable adjustments,
• to communicate with registered library users by email, post, phone or other electronic media (including social media),
• to provide a current awareness service which includes the distribution of subject-specific news bulletins or summaries,
• the distribution of the departmental newsletter ,
• to compile statistics on library usage for effective stock management,
• to obtain feedback on the library service so that it remains efficient and relevant to users’ needs.

 

We consider the processing of your personal data for these purposes to be necessary for:

• the performance of our contractual obligations with you (e.g. to manage your membership and your experience and welfare); and
• the pursuit of the legitimate interests of the HSMC Library by managing our library collection of print and electronic material;

If we require your consent for any specific use of your personal data, we will collect it at the appropriate time, explaining why we are collecting the data and how we will use it, and you can withdraw this at any time.

Only library staff have access to the personal data for the processing purposes set out above. We do not share any personal data. However, we will share some of the information we collect with external contract leads to enable them to evaluate the service we provide against their own requirements.

Information we might share is limited to: anonymised circulation data, statistics on search and training requests, and names of members of their organisation currently registered with the library.

In line with University retention principles, we will retain personal information for 7 years following the termination of your library membership. We may retain some information for longer when required by law.

Details about your rights are set out on the website page Data Protection – How the University Uses Your Data.  This also explains how to ask any questions you may have about how your personal data is used, exercise any of your rights or complain about the way your data is being handled.

This privacy notice is effective from 23 November 2018. It is reviewed when necessary and at least annually. Any changes will be published here and you will be notified by email.