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The General Data Protection Regulation – why we need to act and how we can help each other!

In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will replace the 1988 Data Protection Act (DPA). GDPR builds on the DPA and gives ‘data subjects’ (i.e. those whose data is being held) enhanced rights. If your library service collects data about individuals on library management systems, document supply systems, or swipe card access systems, uses social media or cookies on websites, or captures CCTV images, then this applies to you!

6 things to know about GDPR:

  1. All organisations (or groups of organisations) must identify a named Data Protection Officer (DPO).
  2. The definition of personal data now includes ‘any information relating to an individual’s… private, professional or public life’ and personal identifiers such as photographs, CCTV images, posts on social media and IP addresses.
  3. Data subjects have the right to be informed that their data is being processed via a privacy notice which explains the grounds on which data is being collected, who is processing the data, the intended use of the data, the retention period for the data, and their right to complain.
  4. Data subjects can access, correct and, in circumstances where extreme distress has been caused, erase data. Organisations must respond to requests for access within one month.
  5. Implied consent is no longer allowed. Individuals must opt in to their personal data being held. Statements such as ‘if you continue to use this website then you accept our cookie policy’ are not permissible.
  6. Personal data allowed under GDPR must be portable between organisations, so must not be held in proprietary formats/must be able to be exported to a generic format such as a .CSV file.

What should library services do now?

  1. Find out who is leading on GDPR in your organisation and prepare for a conversation with them about use of personal data in your library service.
  2. Do a quick library team audit of all the personal data you keep in relation to the services you provide. For each think: Who (is the data subject), What (data is being processed), Why (is it being processed), Where (is it being stored) and How (is it being used)?
  3. Think about what privacy notices you might need to cover the data processing requirements for your service. Privacy notices can cover more than one instance of data processing, but it must be possible for users to positively opt-in to each.
  4. Check your procedure for dealing with access, correction and deletion requests – and update these if necessary.
  5. Check that personal data you hold is held in or could be converted to a commonly used electronic format.

How can we help each other?

Many of our data processes will be common to all library services. Please reply to this blog post if you have already done GDPR preparation work and have anything you are willing to share (e.g. your audit of data processes or a new privacy statement) or if you have ideas about anything we could usefully do nationally.

Further information on the GDPR can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/ , which also contains an excellent ‘12-steps to consider now’ document (https://ico.org.uk/media/1624219/preparing-for-the-gdpr-12-steps.pdf .

Naomi Korn Copyright Consultancy will also be providing advice on this issue at https://naomikorn.com/resources/ under the heading ‘Data Protection Resources’.

David Watson
NHS Copyright First Responders

STEP e-learning modules now available!

As you know, we’ve been developing a suite of literature searching modules for you to use as part of the information skills training you offer.

We are delighted to announce that the first three modules are now available from https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/literature-searching/

‘Building the Foundations’ includes three modules to enable users to assess their current level of skill in literature searching, find out more about the resources available to them and get started planning a search.

Module 1 Introduction to searching
Module 2 Where do I start searching?
Module 3 How do I start to develop a search strategy?

Please feel free to place these links on your websites use the attached flier to promote the modules.

The next three modules on ‘Developing the Skills’ will be launched later this year and ‘Applying the Skills’ modules will be available in early 2018.

Attached are some FAQs about the modules which you may find helpful.

If you require further information, please contact the project leads:

Tracey Pratchett, Knowledge and Library Services Manager, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust tracey.pratchett@lthtr.nhs.uk
Sarah Lewis, Library Services Manager, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust sarah.lewis@buckhealthcare.nhs.uk

Health Education England collaborates with library and reading experts to improve patient choice

Health Education England (HEE) has signed a memorandum of understanding with leading organisations in the library and reading arena in a bid to promote greater and more personalised healthcare literacy across the population.

 

HEE will work with the Society of Chief Librarians and The Reading Agency to promote the importance of health literacy. The three organisations will work together to devise and launch programmes that allow people to access personalised information that allows them to make more informed choices about their care and treatment and improve the quality of their life.

 

The Society of Chief Librarians leads and manages public libraries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and advocates continuous improvement in the library service. Its membership is made up of heads of service at each library authority.

 

The Reading Agency is a national charity inspiring people of all ages and all backgrounds to read for pleasure and empowerment. Working with partners, their aim is to make reading accessible to everyone.

 

The provision of high quality, evidence-based, accessible health information is an important driver in HEE’s Knowledge for Healthcare Framework for NHS library and knowledge services, published in 2015. The framework was developed to enable NHS bodies, staff, learners, patients and the public to use the right knowledge and evidence at the right time and place to enable better clinical decision-making.

 

Patrick Mitchell, Director, South of England, Health Education England said:

“I am delighted to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the Society of Chief Librarians and The Reading Agency. It is a very positive step towards collaborating across sectors to underpin health literacy, ensuring people can access high quality information to assist them to make informed choices about their care and treatment.”

 

Sue Wilkinson, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency, commented:

“It is with great pleasure that we are able to formalise this important new partnership with Health Education England. We look forward to using the MOU to activate an exciting programme of activity supporting our shared work with the Society of Chief Librarians on Reading Well and the Universal Health Offer as well as HEE’s ambitions for the delivery of Patient and Public Information.”

 

Neil MacInnes, President of The Society of Librarians, added:

“It’s wonderful news that SCL and The Reading Agency’s work with HEE has now been formally ratified. Our partnership will strengthen the delivery of Reading Well and the Universal Health Offer through public libraries – keeping people in our communities active and engaged as we continue to support their health and wellbeing.”

 

For further information contact louise.goswami@nhs.net or Ruth.Carlyle@hee.nhs.uk
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