At Lean Library, we put honesty and transparency at the heart of everything we do. We therefore want to explain our Privacy Policy as clearly and simply as possible so that you understand how we use your data, and why. If you have any questions about any of the information presented in the Privacy Policy below, please feel free to get in touch here and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.

This Privacy Policy governs your use of the Library Access Browser Extension (which we will now refer to as “The Extension”), developed by Lean Library B.V. (“Lean Library” or “we”). By installing The Extension you agree that you have understood this Privacy Policy, so please read it carefully. Please also note that this Privacy Policy may be updated or changed from time to time and that, when any changes are made, we will publish the new Privacy Policy on this page.

Therefore, it is your responsibility to regularly check this page for any updates, as the act of continuing to use The Extension is deemed an acceptance of the Privacy Policy inclusive of any updates or changes. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not install The Extension. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy but have already installed The Extension, please uninstall The Extension.

Data Collection
When you use your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) to access websites, The Extension aims to save you time by showing you for which databases your library has a license and allowing you access to those databases while you are not on campus. In order to provide this service, The Extension may analyze and/or collect certain information relating to your browsing activity such as the academic websites that you visit. For example, by recognizing the academic website that you are visiting, The Extension is then able to give you the option to access the database with the license of your library (technically through a proxy of your library so that the database knows you are from the library).

The following information may be analyzed and/or collected by The Extension in order to provide the service:
- the current database website url you are visiting,
- previous database websites you have visited and articles you have accessed and how you engage with academic websites.

We will NOT collect any personal information unless you actively share it with us. We will NOT collect your IP address or your device’s unique device IDs.

By using the Extension you will remain completely anonymous. The Extension may also analyze and/or collect and/or store article related data. This could include information such as which articles you’ve (tried) to access, the time at which these attempts are made, the amount of time it took to look up an article, as well as other general information about your academic searching. We may also use this anonymized aggregate data for use in marketing materials including, but not limited to, blog posts, case studies and white papers.

The Extension may also analyze and/or collect and/or store information surrounding any technical issues encountered by The Extension. This information may include, but is not limited to, error message data. The Extension utilizes “cookies”, an industry standard technology, to collect information about how The Extension is used.

The data collected may include, but is not limited to, the data/time of visits, pages viewed, and any third party site that The Extension links to. Again, this information is collected on an aggregate basis without any association to your personal information so that you remain anonymous. Lean Library may, from time to time, ask you for feedback on whether the article/database you attempted to use was useful or valid.

If you do so, we may also use cookies to store this information so that we can improve your future experience of The Extension.

What information does Lean Library and The Extension NOT obtain?
Your security and privacy is our biggest priority. We are only interested in information or data that can help us deliver the best experience possible in saving you time while and optimizing your academic research. Therefore, The Extension does not store any information for other browsing activity such as activity on non-database webpage urls. Furthermore, we do not collect information from your bank or credit card accounts, or information from your email account. We do not record any personal information that you have not provided to us directly, or have explicitly given us permission to record. Do we give third parties access or the ability to see any of the information that The Extension obtains? We may disclose the information we obtain:

As required by law.
- When we believe, in good faith, that such disclosure is necessary to protect your safety, the safety of others, to investigate fraud, to protect our rights, or to respond to a government request.
- With our trusted service providers who work on our behalf, do not have an independent use of the information we disclose to them, and have agreed to the rules set forth in this Privacy Policy.
- If Lean Library is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of all or a portion of its Please note that you will be notified by either email or a prominent notice on our website of any changes in ownership or uses of this information.

In aggregate with other data in such as way so that no personally identifying information can be disclosed. For example, we may disclose this aggregate data with Databases or Libraries who have partnered with us. This is so that these parties can use the information that we analyze and/or collect, or a portion of it, to enhance the access and search process to academic materials. Please note that any information that we disclose to these Databases and Libraries will remain anonymous.

Data Retention Policy
Lean Library will retain the information that we have obtained for as long as you have The Extension installed, and for a reasonable time thereafter. Please note that some of the information that we have obtained may be required in order for our service to function.

Security
Lean Library utilizes physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect the information that we process and maintain, such as limiting access to only authorized employees and contractors who need access to operate, develop and improve The Extension.

However, whilst we endeavor to provide reasonable security for the information that we process and maintain, no security system can prevent all potential security breaches.

Links to Third party Websites
You may be transferred to other online database websites through interaction with The Extension. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those websites, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by those sites.

Therefore, before using third party websites, you should read and understand those website’s own privacy policies.