London Book Trades:Privacy policy

Privacy Policy Last updated: 2026 03 02

Who we are

This website is a read‑only wiki about historical persons. It is operated by The Bibliographical Society, based in the United Kingdom.

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the data controller for personal data processed through this website.

What data we collect when you visit

When you visit this site, our web server automatically records limited technical information in standard access logs:

• IP address
• Date and time of the request
• Pages requested (URLs)
• Amount of data transferred
• Referrer (page you came from, if provided)
• Browser and operating system information (User‑Agent string)

We do not:

• Offer public user accounts
• Collect names, email addresses or contact details through this site
• Use advertising cookies or tracking pixels

Only the basic logs described above are collected.

Why we collect this data (lawful basis)

We use this log data to:

• Maintain and secure the website (e.g. diagnose errors, detect and prevent abuse or attacks)
• Produce high‑level, aggregate statistics such as visit counts and popular pages

Under the UK GDPR, our lawful basis for processing this technical data is our legitimate interests in operating a secure, reliable website and understanding its basic usage, in a way users can reasonably expect and that has minimal impact on their privacy.

How long we keep log data

Server logs are retained for up to [X days/weeks/months – choose something modest, e.g. 30–90 days] and then automatically deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Specific log entries may be kept for longer only where reasonably necessary to investigate and mitigate security incidents or abuse.

Historical persons and other content

The wiki contains information about historical persons and events compiled from published sources and scholarly research. This material is presented for research and educational purposes.

If you believe that material on this site unlawfully infringes your privacy or other rights (for example, if you are identifiable and the information is inaccurate, excessive, or inappropriate), please contact us using the details below. We will review your request and, where appropriate, amend or remove the material.

Sharing and hosting

We do not sell or rent any personal data.

Access logs may be accessible to:

Our hosting provider and technical service providers, who process them on our behalf under appropriate contractual safeguards

Competent authorities or legal advisers, where we are legally required to disclose information or need to do so to protect our rights or the rights of others

We do not transfer log data outside the UK/EEA unless appropriate safeguards are in place (for example, standard contractual clauses), or an adequacy decision applies.

Your data protection rights

Under the UK GDPR, depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Request deletion of personal data in certain situations
• Object to processing based on our legitimate interests
• Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Because our routine data consists mainly of transient IP addresses in server logs, it may not always be possible to identify log entries that relate to you in a way that allows us to fulfil certain requests, but we will consider and respond to all requests in good faith.

You can find more information about your rights and how to complain on the ICO’s website: https://ico.org.uk/

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use personal data, please contact:

Hon. Secretary The Bibliographical Society c/o Institute of English Studies University of London Senate House, Malet Street London WC1E 7HU secretary@bibsoc.org.uk

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in how the site operates. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.