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Data protection & privacy

How and why we manage your personal data

Data Protection & Privacy

How and why we manage your personal data

Data Protection Privacy Notice for Galway Public Libraries

Who we are and why we require your information

Galway City and County Library Services are provided by Galway County Council on behalf of the two Galway local authorities: Galway City Council and Galway County Council. We aim to provide a public library service for the whole community, offering access to informational, educational, cultural, and recreational materials and services in various formats and technologies.

We are part of the national library service and manage our members’ information through a national library management system.

Galway County Council is committed to promoting the economic, social, and cultural development of County Galway and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. This includes:

  • Delivering high-quality, customer-focused services
  • Ensuring transparency and integrity in decision-making
  • Operating efficiently and adapting to changing needs

To provide effective services, Galway County Council may need to collect, process, and use various types of information, including personal data as defined under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Privacy Commitment Statement

Galway County Council is committed to protecting your personal data. In all interactions, we will handle your data securely and in accordance with data protection legislation.

We collect, create, and process personal data in various formats as part of our daily operations. Our commitment is that any personal data you provide will be:

  • Collected lawfully, fairly, and transparently
  • Used only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes
  • Adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary
  • Recorded and stored securely and kept up to date
  • Retained only as long as necessary
  • Maintained in a form that permits identification only as long as necessary
  • Processed securely, protecting against unauthorised or unlawful processing

This Privacy Notice explains how Galway Public Libraries will process personal data collected through:

  • Our library management system
  • Email and contact forms
  • CCTV
  • Footfall counters

It should be read in conjunction with:

  • Galway County Council’s overarching Privacy Statement and Data Protection Policy
  • The Libraries Ireland Data Protection Privacy Statement

What Information Do We Collect?

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Date of birth
  • Borrower number
  • Membership of library programmes (if applicable) 

How We Use This Information

Your personal information is treated with the highest security and secrecy when you apply to join the library. Once a member, you may use any public library in the Republic of Ireland. Accordingly, all local authorities in the state will have access to the information you provide.

Trusted third parties who provide software support will also have access to this data.

We use this information to:

  • Manage your library account
  • Provide access to services via the national library management system
  • Offer access to online resources
  • Communicate with you about library services and events

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Personal Data

Galway Public Libraries’ lawful basis for processing personal data includes:

  • Article 6 – Section 1(a): Consent from the data subject
  • Article 6 – Section 1(b): Necessary for the performance of a contract
  • Article 6 – Section 1(c): Compliance with a legal obligation
  • Article 6 – Section 1(e): Performance of a task in the public interest or exercise of official authority

Who Will Your Personal Data Be Shared With?

You are free to utilise the services of any public library in the Republic of Ireland when you become a member. Accordingly:

  • All local authorities in this state will have access to the information that you provide when you join.
  • Trusted third parties who provide software support will also have access to this data.

We use this information to:

  • Manage your library account
  • Allow you to use services available via the national library service’s library management system
  • Provide access to our online resources
  • Communicate with you in relation to the provision of library services and events

We may share your personal data internally with relevant departments to fulfil the purposes outlined above.

Where personal data is shared externally, Galway County Council ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place—such as contracts, memoranda of understanding, or information-sharing agreements—to comply with data protection legislation.

We may share your data with the following categories of third parties (where relevant):

  • IT service providers and software vendors
  • Legal and professional advisors
  • Government departments and statutory bodies
  • Regulatory or law enforcement authorities (where required by law)

A full list of third-party processors and recipients is available upon request.

In certain circumstances, we may be legally required to disclose personal data without such arrangements (e.g., safeguarding concerns).

All data sharing is assessed to ensure it is necessary, proportionate, and secure.

How Will We Protect Your Personal Data?

Your personal information will be treated with the highest security and secrecy when you submit an application to join the library.

  • All local authorities in the Republic of Ireland will have access to the information you provide.
  • Trusted third parties who provide software support will also have access to this data.

Any personal data collected will be stored securely and confidentially in accordance with Galway County Council’s Privacy Statement and Data Protection Policy.

Data will be stored either:

  • On Galway County Council premises, or
  • On secure IT platforms located within the European Economic Area (EEA), subject to European data protection standards.

How Long Will We Hold Your Personal Data?

Galway County Council will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose of the processing or as required by law, in accordance with our retention policies.

Data held in the national library management system will be retained:

  • For as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose of the processing, or
  • As required by law, in accordance with the Libraries Ireland Data Protection Privacy Statement

What Are Your Rights?

Under data protection legislation, you have the following rights:

  • Right to access your personal data
  • Right to rectification of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure (in certain circumstances)
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to object to processing
  • Right to data portability (where applicable)
  • Right not to be subject to automated decision-making (if applicable)
  • If you or your child have subscribed to library programmes such as “Start Now”, you may request to have this programme-related information removed from your library account at any time. This will not affect your general library membership or access to core library services. 

Contact Galway County Council’s Data Protection Officer

📧 Email: dpo@galwaycoco.ie
📞 Phone: 091 509319
📬 Post:
Data Protection Officer
Corporate Services
Galway County Council
Áras an Chontae
Prospect Hill
Galway

Right of Complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the response you received from Galway County Council, you are entitled to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner, who may investigate the matter for you.

🌐 Website: www.dataprotection.ie
📬 Post:
Data Protection Commissioner
Canal House
Station Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois R32 AP23
📧 Email: info@dataprotection.ie