Privacy Policy

Last Updated July 18, 2012

I. Our Commitment to Privacy

The Ohio History Connection (“OHS”) respects the privacy needs and concerns of our customers and visitors. Our Website Privacy Policy relates to any personal information, such as personal names, addresses, email addresses, or phone numbers ("Personal Information") that you provide to us through www.ohiohistory.org, its subdomains or companion websites (collectively, the “Website”). This Privacy Policy also applies to Personal Information we collect via our presence on social media sites such as Facebook, to the extent we have control over the collection and use of such information. This Privacy Policy describes the Personal Information we gather from you and about you, what we do with it, the safeguards we have in place to protect it, and how you can control our use of it.

By using the Website, you agree, without limitation or qualification, to be bound by this Privacy Policy.

When you provide Personal Information on our Website, you are consenting to the manner in which we will collect, use, disclose, and otherwise manage your Personal Information, as set out below.

Security of Personal Information: We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification, and disclosure of Personal Information in our custody and control. We also are committed to employing reasonable technology in order to protect the security of our Website. We will take reasonable measures which we believe are appropriate to protect your Personal Information from loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction, and, when possible, will ask that any third parties to whom we may transfer such information take comparable steps to protect that security.

Secure Transactions: When you place orders on our Website, all of your order information, including your card number and delivery address, is transmitted through the Internet using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL technology causes your browser to encrypt your order information before transmitting it to a secure server. SSL technology, an industry standard, is designed to prevent someone other than operators of our Website from capturing and viewing your Personal Information. Since any order information you provide to us on our Website will be transmitted using a secure connection, if your web browser cannot support this level of security, you will not be able to order products through our Website. The most recent versions of Mozilla Firefox™, Google Chrome™, Safari™, and Microsoft Internet Explorer® can support a secure connection and can be downloaded for free from the Mozilla, Google, Apple, and Microsoft websites, respectively.

Passwords: To provide you with an increased level of security, online access to your Personal Information is protected with a password you select. We strongly recommend that you do not disclose your password to anyone. OHS will never ask you for your password in any unsolicited communication (including unsolicited correspondence such as letters, phone calls, or e-mail messages).

Disclosure of Personal Information: OHS does not sell or rent any Personal Information gathered online to third parties. We may trade lists with other similar non-profit organizations that might be of interest to you, but only when permitted by law. If you want to opt out from these list trades or if you have comments or questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Commitment to Children’s Privacy: OHS is concerned about protecting children's privacy. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children. There are some pages within the Website where children may post messages or provide feedback, but children are discouraged from providing personal information. If a visitor known to be a child (defined as a person under the age of 13 per the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) sends an e-mail to OHS, we will only use it to respond to the writer and not to create a customer profile for that child.

Legal Scope of Privacy Policy: The Website is intended for visitors from the United States and those not governed by privacy policies of other countries. Visitors to the Website from the European Union are advised not to disclose Personal Information to OHS. Information sent to us will be housed on servers located in the states of Ohio, Washington, Georgia, California, and Illinois, in the United States. Please do not send us information unless you consent to the application of U.S. law and to the use and disclosure of your information consistent with this Privacy Policy.

II. Collection and Use of Personal Information

We may collect Personal Information that you provide us when you do any of the following online or via email:

  • Purchase, order, return, exchange, or request certain information about our products and services.
  • Purchase a product or service on behalf of someone else that requires you to provide his/her Personal Information, such as a gift membership or subscription.
  • Contact customer service.
  • Visit or register with our Website or participate in another feature of our Website, such as blogs or e-newsletters, or make a form request about event rentals, memberships, planned giving,donations, or volunteer opportunities.
  • Engage with us through our social network presence, such as on Facebook.
  • Enter into a contest or sweepstakes.
  • Provide us with comments or suggestions.
  • Or engage in any other activity for which we ask for Personal Information.

We may also collect Personal Information about you from our Service Providers who provide us with e-commerce related services related to the Website.

Unless otherwise stated, we will not collect Personal Information from you when you do the following online:

Respond to a survey about our products or services.
Shopping at the online Ohio History Store: When you purchase products and services at the online Ohio History Store, we will collect your credit or debit card information only for the length of time necessary to complete the purchase. We may retain a partial credit card number and the card’s expiration date in order to facilitate any future refunds or exchanges. We may keep a history of your purchases. We use this information to process your orders and to better assist you if you need to contact us regarding your order.

When you return previously purchased merchandise or request a refund or exchange, you may be asked to give your name, address, and phone number and provide information that identifies you, such as your driver's license number. We collect this information to help prevent fraud.

Visiting Our Website: In general, you can visit our Website without telling us who you are or providing us with any information. However, we collect the IP (Internet protocol) addresses of all visitors to our Website and other related information such as page requests, browser type, operating system, and average time spent on our Website. We use this information to monitor and improve our Website.

Cookies: Our Website uses a technology called "cookies." A cookie is a tiny element of data that our Website can send to your browser, which may then be stored on your hard drive so we can recognize you when you return. Most pages on our Website where you are prompted to log in or that are customizable require that you accept cookies. If you have registered with our Website, these cookies (1) may let us know who you are, (2) are necessary to access your account information (stored on our computers) in order to deliver products and personalized services, and (3) will provide us and our Service Providers with information that we will use to personalize our Website in accordance with your preferences. Cookies are also required to optimize your shopping experience in that they allow you to add multiple items to your shopping cart before checking out. You may set your Web browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. However, should you decide not to accept cookies from our Website, you will limit the functionality we can provide when you visit our Website.

Website Registration: Registration is an optional service provided by our Website which allows you to manage the contact information you have on file with us, update your electronic communication preferences, and receive a more customized web browsing experience. You do not have to register to browse our Website, but you do have to register to purchase certain products or services on our Website. When you register, you may be asked for information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, a password that you select, your birth date, and your interests, if you choose to register them. Your registration information may be used to help make your online shopping experience quicker and easier by pre-filling certain parts of your contact information. When you register you will also have the opportunity to sign up for future electronic communication from OHS. Please see the "Privacy Preferences/Opt-Out" section of this Privacy Policy for information on unsubscribing from these communications.

Electronic Communications: We would like to send you electronic communications, such as newsletters, announcements, and information regarding our products and services, sales, and special offers that might be of interest to you. When you register on our Website or participate in a promotion, you may have the opportunity to subscribe to one or more of our electronic communications. Please see the "Privacy Preferences/Opt-Out" section of this Privacy Policy for information on unsubscribing from these communications.

Promotional Information and Marketing Materials: We may occasionally send you mail, or e-mail or call you with information about our product and service offerings if you have provided us with your name and address, email address, or phone numbers through any of the aforementioned methods. If you would like to stop receiving such promotional information from OHS, please see the "Privacy Preferences/Opt-Out" section of this Privacy Policy.

Other Uses of Personal Information: OHS also uses Personal Information, including information provided to us from our service providers, to continually assess and improve the products and services we offer. To serve you better, we may combine the Personal Information that you give us with publicly available information and information we receive from or cross-reference with our marketing partners and others. We use that combined information to enhance and personalize your online experience with us, to communicate with you about our products and events that may be of interest to you, and for other promotional purposes.

Access to Personal Information by Companies that Work with or on Behalf of OHS: Some of our operations, such as our electronic commerce, may be managed by service providers who are unaffiliated companies. These companies may share Personal Information with their affiliates and with service providers whom they engage to perform services related to our Website or the operation of our business. Examples of these services include payment processing and authorization, fraud protection and credit risk reduction, product customization, order fulfillment and shipping, marketing and promotional material distribution, telemarketing, website evaluation, and data analysis. These companies may have access to your Personal Information on a confidential basis only to the extent necessary to perform their functions. In no event will we authorize these companies to use your Personal Information for any reason other than to provide you with those specific services. If your purchases are being shipped to you, your shipping information will be shared with our delivery service providers (U.S. Postal Service, UPS, DHL, Federal Express, or other delivery companies we or you select). Our delivery service providers are asked not to use your Personal Information for any purpose other than making the delivery.

Sale of Business: In the event that the Ohio History Connection or some of our assets are sold or transferred or used as security, your Personal Information may be transferred to third parties as part of that transaction.

Disclosures of Personal Information in Legal Proceedings: If OHS or any of our Service Providers is requested by law enforcement officials or judicial authorities to provide Personal Information on individual users, OHS or the applicable Service Provider may, without your consent, provide such information. In matters involving claims of personal or public safety, OHS or the applicable Service Provider may provide your Personal Information to appropriate authorities without your consent or court process. OHS or our Service Providers also will provide your Personal Information in response to a search warrant or other legally valid inquiry or order, or to an investigative body in the case of a breach of an agreement or contravention of law, or in litigation involving OHS, the applicable Service Provider, or otherwise as required by law. We may also disclose Personal Information to assist in debt collection where you owe a debt to us.

III. How You Can Manage Your Privacy

Access to Personal Information: If you have registered with our Website, you may access most of the Personal Information we have about you by logging into your account at www.ohiohistorystore.com. You may request access to all of the Personal Information that we have about you by contacting us at: Ohio History Connection, ATTN: Webmaster, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH, 43211, or by e-mailing us at [email protected].

Privacy Preferences / Opt-Out: You may change your marketing preferences or remove yourself from our mailing lists by clicking on an "unsubscribe" hyperlink contained in promotional e-mails we send you or by contacting us at: Ohio History Connection, ATTN: Webmaster, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH, 43211, or by e-mailing us at [email protected].

IV. Additional Information

Our Privacy Policy and Outside Links: This Privacy Policy only applies to the Website and your online activities and interaction with OHS. Our Website may include links to the websites of our business partners, vendors, advertisers, and other third parties. These other websites are outside of our control. Please be aware that these websites may collect information about you and operate according to their own privacy practices, which may differ from those contained in this Privacy Policy. Remember to consult that website's own privacy policy, as once you are outside our Website, any information you submit is no longer in our control.

Privacy Policy Modifications: From time to time we may modify or amend this Privacy Policy in order to comply with new laws or regulations or to reflect future changes in our business practices. Any changes in our policies will be communicated on this page so please check back on occasion. We also may post a notice on our Website or send an email describing the changes.

Contacting Us: If you have any questions about our handling of Personal Information, please contact us at Ohio History Connection, ATTN: Webmaster, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH, 43211, or by e-mailing us at [email protected]. Alternatively, you may call us at 800.686.6124.

V. Web Domains Included in this Privacy Policy

www.ohiohistory.org
www.ohiohistorystore.com
www.ohiocivilwar150.org
www.legacyforohio.org
www.ohioasamerica.org
www.ohiohistorycentral.org
www.ohiohistoryday.org
www.ohiohistoryteachers.org
www.ohiokids.org
www.ohiomemory.org
www.creativelearningfactory.org