He tauākī punanga - Privacy statement

What kind of personal information we collect

The personal information we collect may include your name (and preferred name), date of birth, address, email address, telephone numbers, and information on your use of our services or facilities. It may also include any other information provided by you through your communications with us, or on registration as a library member. If you are under 18 years and not living as an independent adult, we will also request a guardian name, and their contact details.

How do we collect your information

We only keep customer information that is received directly from the customer (or their guardian) or that arises directly from their interactions with our services (such as borrowing a book). No personal details (where the individual is identifiable) will be matched against other data sources. Customers can request to view and update their information any time.

When do we collect your information

When you or someone acting on your behalf provides information to us directly. For example, when you:

• complete and submit forms, e.g., a suggestion to buy for our collection
• use any of our services or facilities, including what you have borrowed and due dates, applicable fees, membership status, signing up for and using our online services and apps, such as online payment services, newsletters, or service updates
• submit a written email, request, or other feedback in relation to library services

We may keep a record of any information you acquire from us.

We may collect personal information about you from other organisations, entities, or persons, such as:

• our suppliers, which include organisations such as:
  • online services you use and eLibrary collection vendors.
• the New Zealand Police, credit reporting agencies and other organisations, entities, and persons where you have authorised them to provide us with information.

1.1 Online forms

In some instances, your personal information may be transferred, and held, by service providers in New Zealand and overseas (for example, where it is stored using a cloud-based service).

1.1.1 Responses to online forms

When you complete an online form on our site, we hold any information you have entered into these forms. This information is used to respond to issues you raise, correct information we hold, provide a service to you, or to inform decision making, and is shared with any third parties when needed to provide a service to you, e.g., support queries for our eLibrary resources.

1.2 Website cookies and analytics

1.2.1 Information collected

We may collect information about your visit to help us improve our catalogue and services. This information is aggregated and does not identify you personally. It includes:

• your IP address
• the search terms you used
• the pages you accessed on our site and the links you clicked on
• the date and time you visited the site
• the referring site (if any) through which you clicked through to this site
• your operating system (e.g., Windows 10, Mac Mojave)
• the type of web browser you use (e.g., Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Safari)
• other things like your screen resolution and the language setting of your browser.

1.2.2 Use of statistical information

The information referred to above in 1.2.1 will be viewable by website administrators and other limited Wellington City Libraries staff.

1.2.2.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to measure which pages on our catalogue attract the most interest and to inform our overall communications and engagement strategy to ensure we are engaging with a variety of different users. Google may use the data collected to contextualise and personalise the ads of its own advertising network.

How do we use your information

We will only use your information to deliver or improve library services.

A unique identifier is used as the Library Customer Account Number. This is used to

• enable the customer to be quickly identified accurately (through scanning a library card)
• allow the customer to verify their identity through third party products
• Connect borrowing records for items to the correct customer

We may disclose personal information about you to:

• any person engaged by the Council to provide products or services to you on our behalf, where your personal information is necessary for the provision of those products or services
• any person you authorise us to disclose your personal information to
• a third party for the purposes of debt collection, when debts have not been paid and exceed $80. This disclosure forms a part of the Conditions of Membership that customers agree when they sign up. “I agree to information being passed to a debt collection and credit reporting agency should I default.”
• a third party, if we are required to do so under laws or regulations, or during legal proceedings or other investigations. This may include sharing CCTV footage with the New Zealand Police or other public sector agencies where criminal activity is reported or suspected. The New Zealand Police may also request to access live feeds from certain CCTV cameras from time to time for law enforcement, investigation, and emergency response purposes

We may retain all personal information we collect (on both our active systems and our archive systems) for as long as administratively necessary, in accordance with the Council's information retention and disposal schedule. In practice this means that we retain personal library account information while the customer has an active account with us. If a customer has not used their account in seven years (i.e., it is “inactive”) we delete the account from the Library Management System. Some personal information such as correspondence, may be kept as part of Council’s records.

Your rights to access and correct your information

Information we hold about you, that you are not able to view or update yourself, can be requested as part of a Privacy Act request. If you believe on reasonable grounds that the information we hold about you is inaccurate, we will take steps reasonable in the circumstances to correct that information or apply a statement of correction.
Privacy Act requests can be made directly to us at enquiries@wcl.govt.nz or you can email assurance@wcc.govt.nz