Newsflash:

We’re open every day except Good Friday, 29 March. View our Easter opening hours here ›

Web privacy statement

We take your privacy seriously.

The State Library of New South Wales (State Library) values the privacy of individuals who visit and use www.sl.nsw.gov.au and its associated websites and services. This privacy statement outlines how we deal with your personal information.

The State Library is subject to the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002. These Acts give people some control over the personal information they provide to an agency and the right to know how it will be used.

What is personal information?

Personal information includes any information or opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent or can be readily identified from the information or opinion. For further information visit the NSW Information and Privacy Commission website.

This website contains links to external websites not owned or operated by the State Library. The State Library is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

Social media

The State Library uses social media sites to share and promote Library services and collections. The State Library abides by the privacy policies and terms of service of third party social media providers we use. We will not share personal information when we post to social media. We remind users to be mindful not to post any personal information that they do not wish to be made public, and to seek consent before posting the personal information of others.

Collection of personal information

The State Library will only collect personal information which you provide to us and will only use it for the purposes for which it was collected. We keep the collection and retention of personal information to the minimum required to support our functions. The provision of person information is voluntary, however some services are only available to registered users.

At all points of collection, we will inform you of what personal information we need, why we need it, and any specific conditions around the collection and use of that information. Personal information collected by the State Library will be treated within the terms of the New South Wales Government's privacy responsibilities and obligations.

Anonymous information is also collected for statistical purposes, to monitor usage of our services and collections, and to gather information to help us see how we can make future improvements

Personal information collected by third-parties

This website provides access to services and functionalities which are delivered by third-party vendors, whose websites are not owned or operated by the State Library, e.g. Libcal for room bookings, Bigcommerce for the online print store and EventBrite for event ticket sales. When you use these functions you do so on these vendors’ websites, and the personal information you provide will be used, disclosed, transferred and stored in accordance with their privacy policies. The State Library is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these websites. We will endeavour to inform you where you have left the State Library website and we encourage you to read the privacy policies of all third-parties before providing any information to them.

Our third-party partners may provide the State Library with your contact details if required to resolve any service issues. Non-identifiable data will also be used by the State Library for statistical purposes.

The provision of personal information to third-party providers is voluntary, however some services can only be made available to identified users.

Event tickets and merchandise may be purchased on-site at the Library Shop if you prefer not to use the online services.

Feedback from users

We collect your feedback to understand how the State Library is used and what people think of it. Providing personal details on feedback forms is optional. Any information you choose to give us is used to help develop our services, products and programs.

If you provide your contact details, you may be contacted to provide further feedback.

Photographs of Library users   

State Library photographers/videographers often document State Library events for historical and promotional purposes.

If you would prefer not to be photographed/videographed you may inform the photographer/videographer at the event and we will ensure that no identifiable photos/videos of you are taken.

Metadata collected about website visits   

We automatically collect certain information when you use our website, including (i) information about your interaction with the website, including the actions you take, e.g. the pages or other content you view or otherwise interact with; (ii) the dates and times of your visits; (iii) device information, such as your IP address or other device address or unique device identifier, operating system information, web browser, and/or device type and language; and (iv) non identifying-data you enter into web forms (e.g. search terms).

This information is then aggregated and evaluated, and may be published in reports that show State Library usage patterns and identify popular areas of the website. This helps us to improve and develop the website and its services. 

Cookies

The State Library website uses cookies to improve the responsiveness of the site to repeat visitors. Cookies help reduce the information you might need to enter multiple times, and can take you to frequently visited parts of the site more quickly. If you choose to disable cookies on your browser, you are welcome to do so, without losing any State Library functions or services, but you may find your browsing experience is less automated. 

For security reasons, the State Library also uses some visitor data to detect and respond to criminal activity. We use software programs to monitor network traffic and identify unauthorised attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage to our organisation.

Use of personal information

Any personal information collected by the State Library through this website will only be used for the purpose for which it has been collected. Access to this information is restricted to authorised Library staff.

No attempt will normally be made to identify individual users or their browsing activities.

The State Library will only publish personal information on the website if it has been collected for this purpose with your knowledge and consent.

Disclosure

Except for when required by law, the State Library will not disclose your personal information to any third party unless you have authorised us to do so. Under no circumstances will the State Library sell or receive payment for licensing or disclosing your personal information.

Personal information may be disclosed under services contracts to the State Library service providers to be used in connection with the specific customer services as detailed above.

Access to aggregated website data is restricted to a limited number of authorised staff who analyse and report on the success of the website in order to meet the State Library's communication and access objectives. In the event of an external investigation, a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the State Library logs.

Storage

The State Library website has security measures in place to protect against loss, misuse and alteration of information under our control. We meet legislative requirements and follow industry best practice to ensure the security of the website and the information systems behind it. 

Access, accuracy and erasure

You have the right to access and correct personal information about you held by the State Library.

The State Library will take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Should you wish to access or amend this information, please contact the State Library's Privacy Contact Officer. Under the General Data Protection Regulation, EU residents additionally have the right to erasure.

If you no longer wish to receive any communications, or want to be removed from any State Library database, please contact the service identified on the relevant feature page, or the State Library's Privacy Contact Officer.

Where can I find more information?   

The State Library's Privacy Management Plan describes the steps the State Library has taken and the procedures to be followed to protect privacy.

If you have any questions about this Web Privacy Statement or would like a copy of the State Library's Privacy Management Plan, please contact the State Library's Privacy Contact Officer (email: privacy@sl.nsw.gov.au).

Further information on NSW privacy law can be found at the NSW Information and Privacy Commission website.

 


Factsheets

PDF icon Privacy and the Library: privacy obligations


PDF icon Got a question or complaint about your privacy?

Forms

PDF icon Access or amend personal information


PDF icon Privacy complaint – request for internal review

Resources

NSW Information and Privacy Commission
 

This Statement is regularly reviewed and updated.