Cookies policy
Find out what cookies are and how they are used on this website.
Like many websites, the National Library of Scotland uses small files called cookies. This is to help provide the best possible online experience for you.
Our Cookies Policy explains:
what cookies are
how we use cookies
how third parties we partner with may use cookies on the Library's websites
your choices regarding cookies and further information about cookies.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of text sent to your web browser by a website you visit. A cookie file is stored in your web browser and allows the Library's websites or a third-party to recognize you. These files help the website remember who you are and how you have used the site before. For example, cookies can:
remember log-in details,
save language or display preferences,
show you content or adverts on other platforms that are more relevant to your interests.
Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies.
Persistent cookies continue to exist after you finish your website visit. They are automatically deleted, often after 12 months or longer. They are used to help the Library's websites recognise when you return so that it can remember things like your preferences, or who you are.
Session cookies are deleted automatically soon after you finish your website visit, usually within 30 minutes. They are used to help the Library's websites to remember the status of your current visit. For example, a session ID might be stored to ensure you remain logged in.
You can remove cookies from your device at any time, and your device will automatically delete expired cookies. Read more about how we ask for your consent.
Types of cookies
Cookies can be set in two ways. Some are set by the Service itself. Others are set by other services which may be used to enhance functionality.
First-party cookies
These cookies are set directly by the Service. Only the website can read them.
Third-party cookies
These cookies are set by other digital services and are accessible only by those digital services. For example, if a webpage contains an embedded YouTube video, YouTube may set its own cookies to enable the video to work correctly. Our vacancies webpage is hosted by a third party (Iris), who set and manage their own cookies. These are not controlled by the Library.
Some cookies are set by services used to provide a better experience for you. For example, Google Analytics is a common service used to understand how users interact with websites so the website owners can make improvements, so the website is easier to use.
Some cookies are set by services for advertising purposes. For example, an advertising platform may set a cookie so that it recognises a user across different websites.
It is not the website which sets these third-party cookies. You can check the cookie policies of these third-party digital services for information the cookies they set.
We categorise cookies based on how they are used to help you to make broad choices about which cookies you allow us to set. This approach makes sure we meet data protection (GDPR) and privacy (PECR) laws in the UK.
Essential cookies
These cookies let you use all the various parts of the Library's websites. Without them, the service cannot be provided. They are sometimes called "strictly necessary" cookies, as they are required for the website to operate. As such, they are on by default and cannot be opted out from.
Some examples of how we use these cookies are:
To remember your preferences (for example, whether you have given your consent for cookies to be set)
Remembering security settings that affect access to certain content, for example, whether you are logged in.
Functional cookies
These cookies are used to provide functionality. Although these cookies enable useful functionality, they are not strictly necessary for the website to operate, and so we will ask for your consent to set these cookies. Without this, the functions requiring these cookies may not be available to you.
For example:
enabling embedded video
remembering that you have visited the site before so that messages for new visitors are not repeated to you
Analytics cookies
These help us ensure the website is working properly and allow us to fix any errors. As they’re not essential for using the site, we will ask for your consent to set these cookies.
Any analytics cookies we use collect anonymised data to protect your identity. We do not collect any data on age, gender, sex, political or religious beliefs, nationality, or postcodes through cookies.
Advertising cookies
At this point, we do not set any advertising cookies for any Library websites. This means you will not see an option for this on the cookie banner.
Some websites use advertising networks to show you targeted adverts and may track your browsing across different sites. As these cookies aren’t necessary to use the website, we will ask for your consent to set them.
Cookies are widely used in online advertising. Neither the Library's websites nor its advertising partners can gain personally identifiable information from these cookies.
Legal basis for processing data
There are two different legal bases under which we might process data related to cookies for this service.
Legitimate interest
We need strictly necessary cookies to make each website work properly, which means we have a legitimate interest to set these cookies.
Legitimate interest is a legal basis for processing personal data where an organisation has a genuine business need to use your information in a way that does not override your privacy rights or freedoms.
Consent
For cookies that are not strictly necessary to operate the website, we must ask for your consent before setting them.
Under data protection law, consent means that you have clearly agreed—through a specific and informed action—to let an organisation process your personal data for certain purposes.
How we ask you for consent
When you first visit one of our websites, you will see a "cookies consent banner" as part of the website. This will tell you that we use cookies and ask for you to consent to the uses outlined above.
By selecting the "Manage Choices" button, you will be presented with the options for each cookies category that we use for this service for which a consent decision is required. Each of these choices is “off” by default, and you can select which choices you want to opt in to.
When you have made your selection, the "Save" option will save your choices. Should you prefer, there is also an "Accept All" button which allows you to agree to all uses in one click.
When you save your choices, we set another cookie which remembers your consent decisions for 90 days so that you do not need to keep repeating this process each time you visit one of our websites from the same browser and device. This cookie is your 'record of consent.' This means that we can confirm the choice that you have made and follow the decision accordingly.
You can change your selection at any time by visiting the cookies policy and editing your choice. After 90 days, you will be asked to renew you consent decision when you return to any National Library of Scotland website.
The cookies we set
Essential cookies
As stated above, essential cookies are strictly necessary, as they are needed for the website to operate. By using the website, you are agreeing that these cookies can be set. There is no mechanism to opt out of essential cookies and still be able to use the website.
Name | Data stored | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
UMB-XSRF-TOKEN, UMB-XSRF-V, UMB_UCONTEXT | A unique identifier | Set for members of staff with access to our website content management system. They keep track of whether staff are logged in to update the website. | Expires at the end of your session |
ARRAffinity, ARRAffinitySameSite | A unique identifier | Ensures that when you visit a website hosted on our cloud infrastructure with multiple servers, you always get connected to the same server, so your session information (like login status or shopping basket) does not get lost. | Expires at the end of your session |
CookieControl | A string describing the cookie consent preferences of the current user | Remembers the cookie preferences you selected. | Expires after 90 days |
UID | A unique identifier | Sets user login session status | Expires at the end of your session |
PSET | String | Sets user login session status | Expires at the end of your session |
JSESSIONID | A unique identifier | Sets user login session status across our websites | Expires at the end of your session |
NLSDIGITALORDERSHOP, NLSDIGITALORDERMAP | A unique identifier | Identifies if a shopping basket order list exists | Expires after one year |
SSA_FILMS | Film reference numbers | Keeps a list of favourite films if user not logged in | Expires after one year |
ASP.NET Session ID | Unique identifier | Used by our job vacancy website to track your visit | Expires at the end of your session |
__RequestVerificationToken | Unique identifier | Used by our job vacancy website to track your visit | Expires at the end of your session |
_sg_b_p | Unique identifier | Placed by the Alchemer Survey Tool, used for occasional surveys. This cookie starts the survey beacon. | Expires at the end of your session |
_sg_b_n | Unique identifier | Placed by the Alchemer Survey Tool, used for occasional surveys. Determines if a visitor has already seen the survey. | Expires after one month |
_sg_b_v | Unique identifier | Placed by the Alchemer Survey Tool, used for occasional surveys. Determines if a visitor has taken the survey. | Expires after two months |
AWS Waf Token | Unique identifier | Identifies that a visitor has passed a captcha test, which is used to deter bot traffic. Used on digital.nls.uk and movingimage.nls.uk. | Expires at the end of your session |
AWSALB, AWSALBCORS | Server identifier | Used on our maps website to ensure you have the best connection to the server, and allows for communication between different apps on Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Expires after a week |
__cf_bm | Browser details and bot score as encoded string | A cookie set by Cloudfare on media.nls.uk to monitor and deter bot traffic | Expires at the end of your session |
CFID, CFTOKEN | Unique identifier | Sets simple numeric values to manage user sessions. | Expires after one month |
institute, productCode | Institution codes | Stores the identifier for the National Library of Scotland's version of Primo VE, our main catalogue at search.nls.uk | Expires at the end of your session |
TS01* | Unique identifier | Used to make sure you are connected to the most suitable server to use our main catalogue at search.nls.uk | Expires at the end of your session |
urm_se, urm_st, __Secure* | Unique identifier | Used to keep track of your logged in session on our main catalogue at search.nls.uk | Expires at the end of your session |
Analytics cookies
As stated above, performance cookies are classed as not strictly necessary. They are used to improve the Library websites over time and to enable a better service to our users. These cookies are only set with your consent.
Google Analytics is an example of a first party cookie used for performance. Other organisations cannot access your data or view cookies used by our website, and we do not sell your data to any third parties. We also do not allow Google to share our analytics data.
Name | Data stored | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Browser ID | Collects information about how you use this website | Expires after two years |
_gid | User ID | Used to distinguish users | Expires after 24 hours |
_ga_* | Session | Used to persist session state | Expires after two years |
_gac_gb_* | Campaign | Contains campaign related information | Expires after 90 days |
Advertising cookies
At this point, we do not set any advertising cookies for any Library websites. This means you will not see an option for this on the cookie banner.
Advertising cookies are classed as not necessary. They are used to allow advertisers to show you advertisements that are more relevant to you. If you opt out of advertising cookies, you will still see advertisements around the internet, but they may not be for things you have an interest in.
Embedded Videos
We embed videos from third-party platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo to enhance your experience on our website. These video platforms may set their own cookies when you interact with embedded content, which we cannot control or predict as they may change their cookie practices at any time.
Because third-party content can change and vary over time, we cannot provide a full list of the cookies that may be set when videos are embedded on our site. You must give your consent to these cookies via our cookie banner before any embedded videos can be played. If you do not give consent, the videos will not be available to view.
If you choose not to consent to embedded video cookies, you can still access the website content, though you may see placeholder images instead of video content. You can update your preferences at any time using the cookie settings available on our website.
What are your choices regarding cookies?
If you would like to delete cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse cookies, you can do this for any website by visiting the help pages of your web browser.
Please note, however, that if you delete cookies or refuse to accept them:
you might not be able to use all the features we offer,
you may not be able to store your preferences, and
some of our pages might not display properly.
At the end of this cookie policy, we provide a mechanism for you to accept or refuse cookies for the Library's websites. Using this method rather than your browser's in-built blocking will enable you to block categories of cookies but keep others active. This will help you to preserve the functionality of the site.
To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit the Information Comissioner's Office.
Setting my cookie preferences
When you first visit a National Library of Scotland website, a cookie banner will appear at the bottom of the screen. You will have the options to accept all cookies ('I Accept Cookies') or reject all cookies ('I Do Not Accept Cookies'). If you click the 'Settings' link, you will have further options to accept specific cookies – for example, to toggle Analytical cookies or Embedded Videos on or off.
If you have already set cookies or dismissed the banner, you can change your preferences at any time.
Change your cookie preferences for this website