Privacy and Security
Thank you for visiting the Northwestern University Library website. The following FAQs outline the Library's privacy policy.
What happens with my personal information when I visit www.library.northwestern.edu?
Information Collected and Stored Automatically
When browsing through the Library's website, reading pages, or downloading information, certain information about the visit is gathered and stored automatically. This information does not identify the user personally. Information that is automatically collected and stored includes:
- the Internet domain and IP address from which the Library's website was accessed,
- the type of browser and operating system used to access the Library's site,
- date and time the Library's site was accessed,
- pages visited, and
- the address of the last site visited before linking to the Library's site.
This information that is automatically gathered and stored is obtained to make the site more useful to visitors, keep a tally of the number of visitors to the site and report on the types of technology visitors are using.
Personal Information Deliberately Sent
If users provide the Library with personal information by filling out a form and submitting it through the site, the Library will use that information only to respond to the user's question or request. Personal information is only shared with another agency if the inquiry relates to that agency, or otherwise required by law. The Library does not create individual profiles with the information provided to give to any private organizations. The Library does not collect information for commercial marketing.
Is this site secure?
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, the Library's computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.
Links to Other Sites
The website has links to many other organizations. In a few cases the Library's site links to private organizations, with their permission. By linking to another site from www.library.northwestern.edu, users are subject to the privacy policy of the new site.
