Introduction
The London Library is a registered charity in England and Wales (charity no. 312175). We rely on the commitment of our membership and generosity of those who donate to the Library. We take the privacy of everyone who engages with us very seriously and this policy outlines how The London Library will manage all the information that we hold on you and give you further detail on how you can change how we managed that information.
The London Library is the ‘data controller’ for the personal information that you provide us; and that we collect, use, and store. This activity is done in accordance with Data Protection law including the UK’s Data Protection Act 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation.
The London Library retains, collects and uses your information in order to undertake activities necessary to the Library’s operations and development. We are committed to protecting your privacy and security, and respect any personal data you share with us. When you provide your data we aim to be clear about how we will store and use it, and not to do anything with it that you would not reasonably expect. This policy outlines what information is retained, what information is collected and from where, how we use that data and how you can contact us to change how we hold and manage your data.
This policy is reviewed and updated annually, so that you can be confident when sharing your information with us that it will only be used for the purposes outlined here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Chris Gilbert (Director of Finance & Resources) on 020 7766 4713 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This policy was last updated April 2020.
The London Library contact details on information matters:
Address: The London Library, Data and Information, 14 St James’s Square, London, SW1Y 4LG
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 020 7766 4700
Your rights and access to your data
You have the right to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you. This is called a ‘Subject Access Request’. You can also request to have the personal data we hold about you erased to object to our use of your personal data, or to restrict the ways we use your personal data. To make any of these requests please see the further details below and then use the contact details above.
You also have the right to update or correct the personal information we hold about you and where you have provided consent for us to use your personal information you have the right to withdraw you consent at any time.
What information we collect and when we collect it
Your personal data is provided to us and collected in a number of ways.
In most cases we store and use the personal data you give us when you decide to interact with us. This could include joining as a member of the Library, purchasing temporary tickets to use the Library, attending an event, signing up to our e-newsletter or making a donation.
In a small number of cases further personal information may also be gathered from public sources. And there may also be instances where personal data is provided by a third party, this will mainly occur when a gift membership is purchased or a book adopted for you by someone else.
Why we collect and use your information
The main reasons for retaining, collecting and using your personal data are to fulfil your membership of the Library or any service or product you have requested or purchased. We want to ensure that we offer you a personalised experience and inform you of events or updates you have asked to hear about or any additional information you need to know. We also use your personal information to understand our members, donors, visitors, prospective donors and customers - including their needs of the Library and interest in the Library.
We only retain, collect and use your personal data when a legal basis has been identified for doing so, in accordance with Data Protection Law. For most cases there are four reasons for such retention and processing that are relevant to The London Library; this is consent, compliance with legal obligation, legitimate interest or for contractual necessity.
How we keep your information safe?
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we store.
When we share any personal data we ensure that security is maintained through encryption. For more information on who we share your information with please see the ‘Who we share your information with’ section below.
Credit card payments are handled by our payment partner Secure Trading.
Organisations and suppliers based inside the European Economic Area (EEA) will be subject to the same data protection laws as companies based in the UK. In some cases, we will engage with organisations and suppliers outside the EEA included the United States, for example cloud-based systems, and if any of the computer servers used to host the website are outside of the EEA area. In these situations we will take steps to make sure that these suppliers provide an adequate level of protection in accordance with UK data protection law. By submitting your personal information to us you agree to this transfer, storing or processing at a location outside the EEA.
Who we share your information with?
We only share personal data that is relevant and proportionate for the practical delivery of a service for the Library (such as mailing the magazine). Our partners are subject to contractual agreements which to help ensure compliance with Data Protection legislation – this includes agreement that the third-party supplier will not retain your data after the activity is completed.
The London Library will never sell, rent, share or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes without your prior consent. On some rare occasions we may want to share your data with carefully selected partner organisations who have worked with The London Library, in these instances we will always ask for your permission.
About this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy from time to time. If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information we will make this clear on The London Library website or by contacting you directly.
If you have any questions about any aspect of the data we hold please contact the London Library on 020 7766 4713 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you wish to raise a concern about the Library’s handling of your data you should first contact Chris Gilbert at the Library. If you are unhappy with the response you receive from the Library, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk or contact their helpline on 0303 123 1113. If you would like more information about the Data Protection Act 201 (EU General Data Protection Regulation) and the lawful basis for processing your data please see the ICO’s Guide to GDPR.
