This Privacy Notice is regularly reviewed and may be updated or revised at any time. It was last updated in November 2025. It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes.
- Introduction
- What personal data do we collect?
- How we use personal data
- Legal Basis for processing
- Who do we share personal data with?
- How long do we keep personal data?
- Automated decisions
- Your rights
- Data Protection Officer.
Introduction
Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in the Wigan Council Primary Privacy Notice.
This notice provides additional privacy information for Library Services.
What personal data do we collect?
To carry out activities and obligations as a Library Service we process the following personal data:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Gender
- CCTV images
- Photographs.
We also process the following Special Category Data:
- Health-related data including disability information
- Ethnicity.
How we use personal data
The main purposes for processing your personal data are:
- To set up your library account so you can use the library facilities, including assigning you to an appropriate borrower type (e.g. adult or child)
- To allow and record access to our public computers, audio and e-Books, e- Magazines and online catalogue
- To send you information relating to your account e.g. notifications about requested or overdue items
- To keep and maintain our membership records
- To contact you about upcoming events and activities being hosted by us and third parties at our libraries, with your consent
- To carry out statistical analysis so that we can monitor and improve our services.
Legal Basis for processing
The lawful basis we rely on for processing your personal data is:
- It is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation under the following:
- Public Libraries and Museum Act 1964
- It is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority
- Consent.
Who do we share personal data with?
In addition to the general reasons for data sharing described in the Council’s Primary Privacy Notice, we share and collect data with the following when required:
- Other teams within Wigan Council
- Other local authorities
- Government agencies
- Law enforcement agencies
- The supplier of the library management system which stores borrower records on a database
- The supplier(s) providing access to e-Magazines, audio and e-books, if you choose to sign up for these services
- Approved Partners and Volunteers supporting service provision – though access to data is via secure log.
This is not an exhaustive list.
How long do we keep personal data?
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any future legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
We must continue to retain necessary data in accordance with our corporate records policy to fulfil legal, statutory and regulatory requirements.
Automated decisions
All the decisions we make about you involve human intervention.
Your rights
More information on how to seek advice to exercise your rights, raise a concern or complain about the handling of your personal data by the council can be found in at Wigan Council Primary Privacy Notice.
Data Protection Officer
If you wish to raise a concern or seek clarification about any aspect of this notice, please contact our Data Protection Officer. Please provide documents to prove your identity along with a description of your concern.
We will respond to all requests within one month.
If you are unhappy with the way that we handle your concern you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (external link).
Document information
Owner: Jo Mitchell, Assistant Director – Customer Experience and Support
Author: Craig Jones, Service Manager Contact Centre Registrars and Libraries
Version and date: V5.0 November 2025