Information We Receive Automatically
When you visit the Historical Engineering Library, our servers record routine log entries. These may include your IP address, the type and version of your browser, your operating system, the referring webpage, the pages you view, and the time of each request. We use this information to maintain the security and stability of the catalogue, to analyse aggregate usage patterns, and to improve the browsing experience.
Information You Provide Voluntarily
If you send us a message through the contact email address listed on the site, we receive the content of your message and the email address from which it was sent. We use this only to respond to your enquiry and do not add it to any marketing list. We also retain any preferences you choose to set on the site, such as display options, which are stored locally on your device unless you clear them.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enable core site functions and to remember your preferences. Where enabled, we may also use analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that set cookies to measure how the catalogue is used. If advertising is displayed on the site, third-party advertising companies may place cookies or web beacons to serve relevant advertisements and to measure their performance. These third parties may collect information about your visits to this and other websites. You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings and through the consent controls provided on the site.
Google Advertising Services
Where Google advertising services are displayed on the catalogue, Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can direct Google not to use information from your visits by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Web Beacons
Pages or emails may contain small graphic images known as web beacons (also called pixel tags or clear GIFs). We use these to help deliver cookies, count visits, understand usage and campaign effectiveness, and to know whether an email has been opened and acted upon. Where third-party services are used, those providers may also employ web beacons.
Purposes of Processing
We process the information described above for the following purposes:
- To operate, maintain, and improve the catalogue and its features.
- To monitor and analyse trends, usage, and activities.
- To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and abuse.
- To comply with legal obligations and to enforce our policies.
Service Providers
We may engage limited service providers (for example, hosting, analytics, or advertising partners) who have access to personal information only to perform tasks on our behalf and are contractually bound not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain the information we collect for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, or as required by applicable law. Log data is typically retained for a limited period before being anonymised or deleted. When we no longer need information, we will dispose of it securely.
Your Choices and Rights
You can choose not to provide certain information by adjusting your browser settings (for example, by disabling cookies) or by not using certain features. You may also opt out of analytics and advertising cookies through the consent controls on the site or through industry opt-out mechanisms such as the Digital Advertising Alliance or the Network Advertising Initiative. Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the email address provided on the site.
Children’s Privacy
The catalogue is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
External Links
The catalogue may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
International Access
The catalogue is hosted in the United States and is intended for a global audience. If you access the site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the catalogue, you consent to such transfer, storage, and processing.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page. Your continued use of the catalogue after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.