LibreTexts, Inc. (or Libretexts, or LibreTexts.org or the LibreTexts Project or the LibreTexts Platform) is a non-profit organization incorporated in California, USA dedicated to implementing a Community built OER resource/platform/portal that is Comprehensive and can be Curated at multiple levels. The purpose of this policy is to tell you about:

  • what information we may collect from or about you,
  • how we collect such information;
  • how we use your information and
  • what rights and choices you have about your information.

PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY POLICY CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE LIBRETEXTS PLATFORM

By using LibreTexts, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy in its entirety, and accept its terms. If you do not agree to any part of our Privacy Policy, please do not use LibreTexts nor disclose any of your personal information to LibreTexts.

LibreTexts has two types of accounts, Community Accounts for students and other users and Instructor Accounts for those creating open educational resources (OER). An account is not needed to access public content on LibreTexts.

This policy clarifies what we do and do not do with your data.

Children Under 13/16

In the United States children under 13 must obtain permission from their parent or guardian to use this website. In some other countries children under 16 must obtain such consent and, of course there may be other rules pertaining to students using websites. In the US teachers who use this website for classes with children under 13 must obtain written permission from parents or guardians of their students so that they can use the site or materials on this site. Parents or guardians of individual children under 13 must register for them in a Community Account. LibreTexts does not knowingly collect personal identifying information about children under 13. The same conditions apply for for children under 16 in the EEV, etc.

In no case will a child be given access to an Instructor’s Account, which are the only accounts that allows for the creation of content.

If you are the parent or guardian of a child, we may hold limited personal information about you to meet our legal obligation of obtaining your consent for the child to access LibreTexts and we may communicate with you about the child’s account or use of services.

Data We Collect

We collect anonymous demographic information using Google Analytics. We use this to improve the LibreTexts site and our users’ experience as well as to troubleshoot problems. We may use this data in reports to our community and funders as well as for informational materials such as newsletters or presentations

We only collect personal information about you that you voluntarily provide to us. This includes information login information, information to order books through our bookstore, and in emails or other communications you send us. We will use this information to provide you with services you request and to communicate with you.

If you provide us with informed consent about research purposes, we may collect your data for research in the public interest about educational materials. The informed consent form will lay out your rights in such matters.

Those with instructor accounts may post educational content of any sort on the site as long as it is covered by an open copyright which is specified.

Use of Information You Provide

We may use information you provide to communicate with you. We may use your personal information to infrequently send you news, updates, announcements, and similar materials via email. We may on even rarer occasions ask you to take a voluntary survey to help us with improving the site and the materials we host. You may opt out of receiving such email at any time and you are not obligated to take any surveys.

Sharing Information with Third Parties

LibreTexts, Inc. does not accept advertising nor does it sell, rent or lease user lists to third parties.

LibreTexts, Inc. may disclose what personal information it has without notice if required to do so by law, to protect and defend the site and project, or in exigent circumstances to prevent harm to users or the public.

Right to Deletion

On receipt of a verified request from you, we will delete any personal information that we have about you from our records and direct any service providers to delete your personal information from their records consistent with their privacy policies that they have received through us subject to the following exceptions:

  • Information used to track activity on our site using Google Analytics
  • Information needed to complete any transaction for which your personal information was collected for printing of books.
  • Information needed to detect security incidents, protect against malicious, fraudulent or illegal activity or prosecute those responsible for same.
  • Information needed to debug and repair errors.
  • Information needed to comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
  • Information needed to engage in research in the public interest about educational materials provided we have obtained your informed consent.

Disclosure of Personal Information to Third Parties

In some cases you may access third party web services while using LibreTexts. LibreTexts does not control those sites and they each have their own privacy policies and terms of service. You access these linked sites at your own discretion and risk.

You have the right to know the categories of personal information that we disclose to others or are collected through our website for others. We list below the major third party web sites that LibreTexts, Inc. uses. Each of them has their own Privacy Policies and Terms of Service which govern use of their sites.

Operation of the LibreTexts WebSite

LibreTexts provides online content through the Mindtouch Platform. While LibreTexts establishes UserIDs and Passwords for accounts they are stored and used by Mindtouch and subject to their privacy policy as is all LibreTexts online content.

Tracking User Behavior

LibreTexts uses Google Analytics to keeps track of the aggregated pages on the LibreTexts platform that users visit. Users may opt-out by disabling third-party cookies. Google Analytics may collect information about your computer, its hardware and software, your IP Address, browser type, domain names, access times, referring website information, etc. to provide generalized statistics. We use this aggregated data to keep track of site use and improve our service.

Information Collected for the Purchase of Printed Textbooks

Printed textbooks can be ordered on the LibreTexts bookstore site. Information you enter through our API is transferred to Stripe.com for collection of fees. Stripe will collect information including name, address and payment information. LibreTexts does not retain payment information, as this is maintained securely by Stripe. Once the fees are collected by Stripe your name, address, and shipping information is returned to us and we use it to fulfill the order on your behalf at Lulu.com, transferring the information to them. We will keep order information in our records for a limited period of time, but this information is never shared with third parties other than Lulu and Stripe. We retain order information in case there is any problem with your order. You may ask that the information be deleted, but this may make it difficult or impossible for us to provide service related to your bookstore order.

Information Collected for Donations

If you donate to LibreTexts, Inc. you will be redirected to Stripe.com. Stripe will collect your personal information to process your donation and complete your transaction. Stripe will share your name, contact information, and donation so that we can thank you. Stripe does not share your payment card or billing information with us.

Online Forums

LibreTexts operates a number of online forums at groups.io, mostly for instructors using LibreTexts for their classes or instructors and others building OER. If you join and use those forums your personal information may be publicly posted.

Other Third Party Services

To enhance user experience LibreTexts integrates Hypothes.is for annotation and the BeeLine Reader to enhance readability. Also materials from such services as YouTube, PhET, etc can be embedded in LibreTexts. Those materials are accessed from but are not held in LibreTexts. Use of these services is governed by their terms of service and privacy policies.

Information for Learning Management Systems

LibreTexts and associated services such as our homework system(s) can be embedded into the learning management system (LMS) of an institution over a secure connection. In addition to OER the LMS and LibreTexts may exchange grades and assessments if an instructor desires. We pay careful attention that such interchanges comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the US and similar laws elsewhere.

Integration with external login services/Identity Providers (IdP).

You have the option to use Google Workspace or Microsoft Active Directory from your Educational Institution in order to log you in to LibreTexts. Use of these services is governed by their terms of service and privacy policies, as well as your Educational Instution’s policies. Upon successful login, these services only share the user email. Your password and account access are never shared with LibreTexts and are the maintained responsibility of the external provider.

Cookies

LibreTexts and the Mindtouch Platform use cookies (small files) that are deposited on your hard drive to help improve your browsing through the LibreTexts site, for example to keep you signed in. You are free to delete or not accept these as you will although failing to accept them will adversely affect the performance of the platform. Cookies are not required for public viewing of the site, though logging in will require cookies to be enabled.

Voluntary Participation

By using LibreTexts you consent to our data practices described here. You can request your information to be removed by writing us at info@libreTexts.org Subject: Remove information, and we will do so as quickly as we can, however for you to have an account requires that we know your Email address and UserID.

Disclaimer

LibreTexts will make every effort to safeguard your data against unauthorized disclosure but we cannot guarantee this.

Changes to this Statement

We retain the right to make any changes to this policy at any time. The effective date of the changed policy will be printed at the top and bottom of the page.

Contact Information

LibreTexts, Inc.
Davis, CA
info@libreTexts.org

Effective as of 1 January 2021