This privacy policy explains how our organization uses the personal data we collect from you when you use our website, the STELLA app, or borrow materials from a STELLA member library.

STELLA does not sell, rent or otherwise distribute information to outside companies or organizations unless legally required to do so. For example, library records may be subject to disclosure to law enforcement officials under provisions of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) and we may under some circumstances be forbidden from disclosing that certain records have been requested or obtained.

A fundamental component of our privacy policy is maintaining the confidentiality of your use of library resources as protected in the New Jersey Library Confidentiality Act. Under this state law we may disclose your private data only under the following circumstances:

The records are necessary for the proper operation of the library;
Disclosure is requested by the user; or
Disclosure is required pursuant to a subpoena issued by a court or court order.

What data do we collect?

STELLA stores the data collected by your local library, or data collected when using our STELLA app, including:

Personal identification information (Name, address, email address, phone number, etc.) needed to issue your library card
Records of materials you use from the library including materials you physically checkout and the digital materials you use
Your Internet Protocol (IP) address
Information about the type of technology you use to interact with our services
Date and time of your visit
Pages that you viewed on our website
Certain searches/queries that you conduct
If you are using a Library device, we may also record your Library barcode, time and length of your session, and the websites that you visited. If you are using a public Wi-Fi network, we may, in addition, also collect the MAC address and name of your Wi-Fi device.

Cookies: A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes a unique identifier that is sent to your computer or mobile phone or device browser from a website’s computer and is stored on your device. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if the browser preferences you have set allow it.

STELLA uses cookies to verify that you are an authorized user in order to allow access to licensed library resources; to customize Web pages for your use; to help make our site more useful to visitors; and to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use.

You may set the preferences in your web browser to refuse cookies or to tell you when a cookie is being sent. This may result in an inability to access some library services from computers outside the library. Some of the information we collect is anonymized and used to develop an understanding of how our services are used and assist us in expanding or planning new services. In such cases all personally identifying data is removed and only aggregate data is retained.

How do we collect your data?

You directly provide to your library most of the data we collect. We collect data when you:

Register for a library card
Checkout or use library materials
Use or view our website via your browser’s cookies
Use your library card to access a digital service like eLibraryNJ or Hoopla
Use the STELLA app

How will we use your data?

STELLA collects your data so that we can:
Manage the circulation of library materials
Maintain records of fines and/or fees paid or owed by library patrons
Authenticate your use of digital resources
Customize your online library experience (primarily through the use of cookies which allow us to remember information so that you do not need to re-enter it every time you use our services)
Make you aware of library services and programs

We protect personally identifiable information from unauthorized disclosure. Once it is no longer needed to manage library services, we regularly delete, purge, shred, or anonymize personally identifiable information about library users and their use of library resources. Our data retention policy is provided upon request. Library patrons may opt to have us retain data regarding library materials borrowed. Data retained at your request is subject to the same confidentiality protections as described above.

Privacy policies of other websites

The STELLA website contains links to other websites. Our privacy policy applies only to our website, so if you click on a link to another website, you should read that web site’s privacy policy. STELLA provides access to 3rd party services such as eLibraryNJ, Hoopla and RB Digital Magazines. The information you submit to STELLA may be provided to those third parties on a confidential basis so they can assist us in providing these services. In cases where patrons leave STELLA’s website to visit one of these websites, you are encouraged to learn about the privacy policies of those websites.

Changes to our privacy policy

STELLA keeps its privacy policy under regular review and places any updates on this web page. This privacy policy was last updated in April 2019.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about STELLA’s privacy policy or the data we manage please do not hesitate to contact us.

Email us at: eric@stellanj.org
Call us: 732-750-2525, ask for Eric Lozauskas, Executive Director
Or write to us at: STELLA, 27 Mayfield Ave., Edison, NJ 08837

Approved by the STELLA Board April 25, 2019

Related Policies

STELLA Policy on Confidentiality

The legal custodian of records for the Sharing Technology Enhancing Local Library Access (STELLA) is the Executive Director. As the legal custodian of records, the Executive Director is the person responsible for responding to any request for library records or information about a library user.

The Executive Director may designate one or more library employees to serve as persons responsible for responding to any request for library records or information about a library user when the Executive Director is absent or unavailable.

The circulation and registration records of library users contained within the databases of the Consortium shall not be made available to any third party or any law enforcement agency of a local, state, or federal government except as provided for under law.

No STELLA employee or volunteer may release library records or reveal information about a library user to any third party or law enforcement agent unless authorized to do so by the Executive Director or the Executive Director’s designated alternate. In all circumstances, without exception, employees and volunteers shall follow the procedures set forth in Internal Procedures for Requests for Library Records.

No Member Library employee or volunteer is authorized to release records or reveal information about another library’s user to any third party or law enforcement agent. Such requests should be referred to STELLA. Member Libraries are strongly encouraged to have their own policies and procedures in place to address requests for their own library users’ records.

Approved by the STELLA Board September 2007