Linking & Privacy Policy
The Texas State Law Library (SLL) maintains this Web site as a public service. The SLL adopts the linking and privacy policies set forth in the Dept. of Information Resource's state Web site linking and privacy policy with the provision that because we are a judicial agency, we are not subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Our records are governed by Rule 12 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration. Please see our open records policy for more details. If you have questions or comments about SLL's linking and privacy policy, please send an e-mail to library@sll.texas.gov or call us at (512) 463-1722.
Below we describe our third-party linking policy and provide more information regarding what information we collect from visitors to the site and how that information is used. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission provides educational information for consumers and businesses about the importance of personal information privacy at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy.
Web-based Forms
SLL uses Web-based forms for such purposes as collecting survey results and answering reference questions submitted by members of the public. Personally identifiable information collected from Web-based forms has a specified use (e.g., requests for reference assistance, survey response) and SLL uses the information only for that purpose. We delete all personally identifiable information submitted to us via Web-based forms within approximately 90 days of answering a patron's submitted reference question(s). Each Web-based form designed by the SLL contains a link to this privacy policy.
State agencies may not sell or release the e-mail addresses of most members of the public that have been provided to communicate electronically with a government body without the affirmative consent of the affected member of the public. Exemptions to this confidentiality may be reviewed at section 552.137 of the Texas Government Code. Personally identifiable information contained in a question or comment sent to SLL in an e-mail message or submitted in an online form is only used by SLL to respond to the request and to analyze trends. SLL may redirect the message to another government agency or government employee who is in a better position to answer the question.
Cookies
The SLL Web site may use cookies to provide interactive pages, such as Web-based forms, Web applications, and surveys. These cookies serve to provide a better user experience to the public. We do not obtain any personally identifiable information other than that which was submitted by members of the public via our Web-based forms.
Site Use Analysis
The SLL uses Google Analytics to track statistical information about Web site visitors. No personally identifiable information is collected through Google Analytics. The statistical information obtained through Google Analytics helps us monitor and analyze usage trends so that we can better design our public Web site. We do not use the usage statistics obtained through Google Analytics for any other purpose. For more information, see the data sharing and privacy policies of the Google Analytics tool.
Server Logs
SLL's Web servers are maintained by the Office of Court Administration (OCA), who set forth the policies that govern the information collected by the servers. Any statistical information (e.g., server logs) we may obtain from OCA is used to improve site management. We may use log analysis tools to create summary statistics about Web site usage. The statistics are used for purposes such as assessing what information is of most interest to users, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. SLL does not report or use this information in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information and does not release the information to any outside parties unless required to do so under applicable law.
SLL and OCA monitor network traffic for site security purposes and to ensure that the site remains available to all users. Unauthorized attempts to upload information, change information on this site, or otherwise cause damage are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Texas Penal Code (e.g., chapter 33 on Computer Crimes, chapter 33A on Telecommunications Crimes). Except as may be required for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. SLL does not use raw data logs for any other purposes; however, it is possible that parts of raw data logs could be determined to be open records by the Office of the Attorney General. If such a determination were made subsequent to a Public Information Act request for the logs, SLL would be required to disclose parts of the logs deemed open by the Office of the Attorney General.
Third-Party Linking
The following third-party linking policies are adopted in addition to the third-party linking provisions listed in the Dept. of Information Resource's state Web site linking and privacy policy.
The SLL may provide links to Web sites owned and operated by third parties. The presence of a third-party link is not to be construed as an endorsement by the SLL. We provide third-party links to help further the legal research of our library patrons. We have no control over the content of a third-party site, and as such, we strongly recommend that the public assess the information of a third-party site on their own or with the help of an attorney. We realize that many third-party sites may contain information that could be construed as legal advice, and so we strongly recommend you speak to an attorney for help with your specific situation.
We welcome suggestions on how we may improve our services by linking to a third-party site, but the SLL reserves the right to deny a third-party link on our public Web site.