Data protection is of high priority for the Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB). As a general rule, the use of TIB’s services does not require the provision of any personal data. However, the processing of personal data may be required where a data subject wants to use special services via the TIB’s web pages. Where the processing of personal data is required and where there is no legal basis for such processing, we shall obtain the data subject’s consent.
The processing of personal data, such as for example the data subject’s name, address, email address, or telephone number shall always be carried out in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the state and institution-specific data protection rules and regulations applicable to the TIB. This privacy statement serves to inform the public about the nature, scope and purpose of the personal data we collect, use and process, as well as of the rights data subjects are entitled to.
The terms used in this privacy statement are to be understood within the meaning of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The controller under data protection law shall be:
Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB)
Welfengarten 1 B
30167 Hannover
Germany
Phone: +49 511 762-8989
Email: information@tib.eu
Website: www.tib.eu
The data protection officer of the controller shall be:
Elke Brehm
Phone: +49 511 762-8138
Email: datenschutz@tib.eu
Postal Address:
Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB)
Data Protection Officer
Welfengarten 1 B
30167 Hannover
Germany
Visiting Address:
TIB Conti-Campus
Königsworther Platz 1 B
30167 Hannover
Any data subject may contact our data protection officer directly regarding any and all questions and suggestions regarding data protection at any time.
The TIB’s web pages contain information and forms that enable quick electronic contacting via contact form or by email providing name and email address also for customers not registered with the TIB. The indication of name and email address is necessary to establish contact following clarification of the data subject’s concerns. The personal data transmitted by the data subject to the TIB via email or via a contact form are automatically stored internally and only for the purpose of processing or contacting the data subject.
In accordance with applicable laws, we process personal data to the minimal extent necessary for providing our services, improving functionality, and ensuring compliance with legal obligations.
We process personal data based on the following legal grounds as defined in Art. 6 GDPR:
The TIB processes and stores the data subject’s personal data only for the period necessary to achieve the purpose of such storage and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the country and institution-specific data protection regulations applicable to the TIB. Thereafter, the personal data will routinely be blocked or deleted in accordance with the statutory provisions.
If you visit our website solely for informational purposes, you may do so without providing any personal data. However, for technical reasons, certain server log data is automatically transmitted by your browser and processed by us. This data may include:
To ensure the website functions properly and maintain the security of our information technology systems, this data is temporarily stored in log files. The legal basis for this temporary storage is Art. 6(1e) of the GDPR.
To ensure the proper functioning of our website, user engagement tracking, and content delivery, we work with external service providers for data processing tasks. These providers may collect and analyse user data, such as IP addresses, browser information, and access logs, in compliance with data protection regulations. For example, this data may be used to host the website, monitor user interactions, and gather statistics on page visits or content engagement. All third-party data processing is done transparently, and we implement contracts to ensure that data processing complies with GDPR requirements. The external data processing services are listed below with explanations/examples.
Each of these tools helps us improve your experience on the website, but you always have control over your data. If you have any questions about these services or your privacy, please reach out to our data protection officer.
We use Matomo, a privacy-focused open-source web analytics software, to analyse the usage of our website and improve its content. This section explains how we collect and process anonymised usage statistics through Matomo, ensuring that your privacy is protected.
Matomo collects the following anonymised data:
To protect your privacy, your IP address is immediately anonymised by Matomo, preventing it from being traced back to you. This is done by shortening the last two bytes of the IP address, ensuring complete anonymity of the collected data. For example, if your IP address is 192.168.100.123, it will be anonymised to 192.168.0.0, ensuring complete anonymity of the collected data.
The data collected through Matomo is used to analyse and measure the use of our website to improve its reach and effectiveness. This helps us optimise the website’s content and report to the German Research Foundation (DFG), which funds our project. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, as we have a legitimate interest in improving our website and fulfilling reporting requirements.
The anonymised data is stored on the servers of the Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec) at Bielefeld University as part of the de.NBI project. The data is not shared with third parties or combined with other datasets. It is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined above, and it is deleted once no longer required.
As we do not collect personal data while using Matomo, you do not need to exercise rights such as access, correction, or deletion of personal data. However, if you prefer to opt out of data collection, you can disable Matomo tracking by enabling the Do Not Track feature in your browser settings, and no data is collected by the tool at all.
Bioinformatics Resource Facility
Centrum für Biotechnologie (CeBiTec)
Universität Bielefeld
Universitätsstraße 25
33615 Bielefeld
Our website is provided through GitHub Pages to ensure the smooth operation of our website. It enables us to host our website directly from our GitHub Repository, which helps us manage and share the code of our website, allowing our development team to collaborate on updates and improvements.
GitHub Pages allows our development team to maintain and deploy website updates quickly. It is based on a GitHub repository, which you can think of as a shared workspace where our team can make changes, suggest improvements, and instantly see the results. For example, when one developer fixes a bug, the entire team can review and verify the change in real time.
When visiting our website hosted with GitHub Pages, some information, such as your IP address, may be collected by GitHub. This is handled in accordance with GitHub’s privacy policy, which you can review here. Please note that GitHub, as a third-party service, may process data according to its privacy practices, which are separate from ours.
jsDelivr is built into our website theme and provides some files for the technical operation in the background of our website. It provides commonly used code snippets directly to you for a smoothly functioning website. For example, think of jsDelivr as a library that ‘lends’ commonly used JavaScript code to your browser. When you visit a website, it borrows this code from the library and stores it on your computer, so you don’t need to download it again the next time you visit a site that uses the same code, unless a newer version of it is available.
When you visit our website, your browser connects to jsDelivr to retrieve the needed JavaScript code. During this, some data like your IP address and the time of your visit will be processed by jsDelivr. You can find out more about how they handle your data in their privacy policy.
Netlify is built into our website theme and provides some files for the technical operation in the background of our website. It provides commonly used code snippets directly to you for a smoothly functioning website. For example, think of Netlify as a library that ‘lends’ commonly used CSS code to your browser. When you visit a website, it borrows this code from the library and stores it on your computer, so you don’t need to download it again the next time you visit a site that uses the same code, unless a newer version of it is available.
When you visit our website, your browser connects to Netlify to retrieve the needed CSS code. During this, some data like your IP address and the time of your visit will be processed by Netlify. You can find out more about how they handle your data in their privacy policy.
As a data subject, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) grants you specific rights regarding the processing of your personal data. These rights (Art. 15-21 GDPR) ensure transparency, control, and fairness. You may exercise them at any time, as outlined below:
You have the right to
Under specific legal conditions, you may request a restriction on processing your personal data. This means your data can only be stored but not actively processed, unless your consent or processing is necessary for legal claims or other specified reasons.
If the processing of your data is based on your consent or a contractual necessity, you are entitled to
If your data is processed under Art. 6(1e) (public interest) or Art. 6(1f) (legitimate interest), you may object to its processing. Your objection must be based on reasons relating to your particular situation. Processing will cease unless compelling legitimate grounds are demonstrated.
You have the right to revoke your consent to data processing at any time. Please note that revocation does not affect the lawfulness of data processing already carried out before your withdrawal.
If a data breach occurs that poses a high risk to your rights and freedoms, you have the right to be informed promptly, as required by GDPR.
For any inquiries regarding the processing of your personal data or to exercise these rights, please feel free to contact our data protection office (see above) at any time.
If you believe your personal data is being processed unlawfully or in violation of GDPR, you can file a complaint with a supervisory authority. The authority responsible for us is:
Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz Niedersachsen (Data Protection Office of Lower Saxony)
Prinzenstraße 5
30159 Hannover
Phone: +49 511 1204500
Email: poststelle@lfd.niedersachsen.de
Website: https://www.lfd.niedersachsen.de
We do not transfer personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or to third countries that do not provide an adequate level of data protection as defined under the GDPR. Any data processing within the EU is carried out in compliance with the GDPR to ensure the security and privacy of your personal data. Should a transfer outside the EEA become necessary in the future, we will implement appropriate safeguards to ensure your data remains protected.
We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the protection of your personal data, including encryption and secure data storage practices. We also regularly review these measures to maintain their effectiveness.
Whenever a data subject calls the TIB web pages, these pages automatically collect information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to the TIB. This is:
As a general rule, this data is not attributable to a particular person. This data will not be merged with other data sources. Collecting the information is a technical necessity to display the website and ensure its stability and security (legal basis is art. 6 par. 1 f EU GDPR).
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy as necessary, in accordance with the GDPR and future changes regarding our collection and processing of personal data. Any changes will be communicated on this page, and the updated date will be reflected at the end of the policy.
The privacy was prepared in April 2025 and last reviewed on July 1, 2025.