44 Association of Research Libraries Research Library Issues 297 — 2019 NYPL Initiatives The New York Public Library is also paving the way in creating other privacy standards and controls that meet the demands of the 21st- century library. The data that flows through most modern libraries, one could argue, is actually in the hands of third-party vendors. Many products and services the library depends on, such as integrated library systems (ILS), customer relationship management (CRM) databases, software programs for educational use, analytics software, cloud storage, and website hosting, are outside the library’s direct and complete control and rely on contractual agreements. The question for libraries is how to best control these agreements and outside relationships. NYPL has a workflow that involves the director of privacy, the legal department, IT, and a risk manager from purchasing in reviewing any vendor contracts that involve the collection and use of personally identifiable information (PII) about patrons, making certain that that PII is safeguarded and properly controlled by the vendor throughout the data life cycle (starting from the point of collection, to its storage, its access, and ending with its proper retention and disposal). NYPL also proudly boasts that it is the first and (still) only library in the country to have a full-time privacy officer, a position which has existed here since 2015. In his role as NYPL director of privacy and compliance, Bill Marden has formed a Privacy Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from every division of the library, who meet monthly to discuss and help decide various initiatives and issues related to privacy at NYPL. With the help of the members of this committee, NYPL is embarking on a complete inventory of its data- collection practices, including a risk assessment of how well the library safeguards data containing PII. The New York Public Library is also paving the way in creating other privacy standards and controls that meet the demands of the 21st-century library.