Accessibility & Privacy

Accessibility

OCLS is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence.

We believe in integration, and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under Ontario’s accessibility laws.

Website Privacy Policy

Table of Contents

1.0 PURPOSE

OCLS is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information. This Website Privacy Policy explains the current information management practices on our website.

2.0 PRIVACY STATEMENT

Thank you for visiting OCLS’s website and reviewing our online Website Privacy Policy in detail. Respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information in an online environment is a priority for us.

3.0 POLICY

 

Information Collected

When browsing or download information from the OCLS website, our servers automatically collect limited amounts of standard information for traffic monitoring and statistical purposes. The information collected is analyzed for operational trends, performance, and for ways to improve our site. OCLS cannot identify you from this information.

We may collect the following standard types of information:

      • Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the computers being used to access our sites
      • Operating systems and the types and versions of browsers used to access our sites
      • Internet Service Providers used by visitors to our sites
      • Dates and times users access our sites
      • Pages visited
      • Keywords users enter into our search engine
      • Names and sizes of files requested

The OCLS website collects the above noted information to provide visitors with access to information and services available on our website. Our computer systems use hardware and software to anonymously monitor unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, disrupt service, or otherwise cause damage. As a general practice, we make no attempt to link this information with the identity of individuals visiting our website. If an attempt to damage our site has been detected, we may take further action.

Our Commitment

OCLS is committed to protecting your privacy whether you are browsing for information or conducting business with us. When visiting our website, we will not collect your personal information unless you choose to use our products and services that require it. If you choose not to use the Internet to provide personal information to OCLS, you can contact us via telephone, fax, mail, or in-person.

Cookies

The OCLS website uses cookies. A cookie is a small text file sent from a Web server and placed on your computer's hard drive. A cookie is generally used to enhance your browsing experience. You can choose to set your browser to detect and reject cookies, to accept cookies from all sites, or to prompt you whenever a site wants to send you a cookie. Check your browser's "Help" files to learn how to do this.

Cookies do not give OCLS access to your hard drive and cannot affect to your computer.

Our website uses two types of cookies:

Session Cookies (temporary)

      • Session cookies may be used to support on-line feedback/discussion, forms and registration - they are used only during your online session and expire when you close your browser.
      • Without session cookies, moving around our Web sites could be much slower.

Persistent Cookies (longer-term continuing use)

      • Persistent cookies are different from session cookies because they are stored on your computer's hard drive for some length of time. They are usually used if you want us to remember information about your Web preferences (e.g. large font) and passwords for automatic log-in purposes.
      • If you choose, persistent cookies can be used to 'remember' your password and make it easier and faster to log-in to certain areas of the site.

Web Analytics

In order to better serve you, OCLS uses web analytics services including Google Analytics to help analyze the use of our website. These tools use cookies to collect and generate information about your visits to our site (including your IP address) that is transmitted to their servers in an anonymous form for processing. We study patterns of website activity so we can improve the visitor experience of our site. The use of analytical tools does not allow us or our analytics service providers to identify individuals. You can opt-out of analytics activity by setting your browser to notify you when a cookie is sent and block analytics cookies if desired. Please consult your browser's “Help Menu” for instructions. Visiting our website with analytics cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience. Google currently offers a free Google Analytics opt-out tool for Internet Explorer (versions 7 and 8), Google Chrome (4.x and higher), and Mozilla Firefox (3.5 and higher).

Personal Information

You may choose to provide us with personal information such as your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address if you wish to:

      • submit an e-mail, comment, question, or request or subscribe to information online
      • request a service, product, or fill out a registration or license form online
      • provide feedback, participate in consultations or surveys online

When you visit the OCLS website, any personal information you provide will only be used to respond to your message and/or provide you with the requested service or product. The collection of personal information by OCLS will be in accordance with The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Questions/Comments:

Questions or comments regarding these practices may be directed to info@ocls.ca, or by writing to:

Ontario Colleges Library Service
789 Don Mills Road, Suite 701
Toronto, ON M3C 1T5