Terms of Use

Revision date: Jan. 24, 2013

This policy covers use of sites and services developed by the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) including nsdl.org, publicly available NSDL sites available via wiki.ucar.edu, or other NSDL-developed domains providing services for STEM education.

By using or contributing to nsdl.org and its affiliated sites, and/or downloading materials, including NSDL software, services, and web sites (referred to collectively as the “Services” in this document), you, the user, agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this document (the "Terms of Use").

NSDL reserves the right to modify the Terms of Use at its discretion at any time. Such modifications will be effective when posted. You agree to use the Services only for purposes that are permitted by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, please discontinue use of the Site(s).

You agree not to access (or attempt to access) any of the Services by any means other than through the interfaces that are provided by NSDL. You agree that you will not engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Services (or the platforms, servers and networks which are connected to the Services). You specifically agree not to access (or attempt to access) any web site through any automated means (including use of scripts or web crawlers) that do not comply with the instructions set out in any robots.txt file present on the web site.

You may use the content for legal purposes only.

This site may terminate your access, or suspend access to all or part of this web site, without notice, for any conduct that NSDL believes is in violation of any applicable law or regulation, or is deemed harmful to the interests of another user of this web site and/or any third-party provider of digital content to the site.

This site or any portion of this site may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose that is not expressly permitted by NSDL.

NSDL logos may be used by partner contributors/collaborators for educational and research purposes. Collaborators are encouraged to link to http://nsdl.org and its associated web pages. NSDL may withdraw approval at its sole discretion and reserves the right to terminate or modify permission to display the NSDL logo at any time. Direct questions about logo use to NSDL via http://nsdl.org/contactus.

Contribution and Use of Content

Where NSDL sites may permit comments by users, if you make comments, you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the comments that you post on NSDL sites, and that use of your comments by the site will not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party. NSDL has the right but not the obligation to pre-screen, edit or remove any user comments at any time. NSDL takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party.

NSDL generally does not own rights to the educational resources in its collections. Materials that you discover and reuse through NSDL Services are subject to third party copyright and other proprietary rights protection. By viewing, downloading and using materials or content accessible through the Services on this site, you agree that you will not violate any of those copyright or other proprietary rights and that you will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

You understand that by using the Services you may be exposed to content that you may find offensive or objectionable and that, in this respect, you use the Services at your own risk. If you feel you might be offended by the content of a Service, you should not continue.

This web site contains links to other web sites on the Internet. NSDL is not responsible for the content, accuracy, copyright compliance, decency standards, or other materials on such sites.

Security

For site security and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this web site employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, deny service, otherwise cause damage, or access non-public information. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the United States criminal code. Information regarding possible violations of law may be provided to law enforcement officials.

Privacy

The only personal information that NSDL obtains about a user of its sites is information supplied voluntarily by the user. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

Disclaimers

THE CONTENT ON NSDL SITES, INCLUDING THE MATERIALS, ARE PROVIDED BY NSDL “AS IS.”  THE APPLICABILITY OF THE UNIFORM COMPUTER INFORMATION TRANSACTIONS ACT (UCITA), AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL NSDL OR UCAR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE SUFFERED BY YOU, ANY USER, OR ANY THIRD PARTY RESULTING IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM USE OF THIS SITE. IN NO EVENT SHALL NSDL OR UCAR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CLAIMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF DATA OR PROFITS, THAT ARISE OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACCESS, USE, CONTENT, PERFORMANCE OF OR RELIANCE ON THE SITE, ANY LINKED SITE, ANY LINKS CONTAINED IN ANY LINKED SITE, OR THE MATERIALS.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold NSDL, UCAR, their respective employees, officers, trustees and affiliates, harmless from any claims, losses or damages, including legal fees, resulting from your violation of these Terms or your use of the Site, and to fully cooperate in NSDL and UCAR’s defense against any such claims.

Sponsorship

Material in these pages is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. 1144560, 0926398, No.0925620, No.0840858,  No. 0840744, No. 0830317, No. 0824881, No. 0733600, No. 0424671, No. 0227648, No. 0227656, and No. 0227888, No. 0127298, No. 0086100. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Applicable Law

This site is created and controlled by NSDL in the State of Colorado, USA. Accordingly, this agreement shall be deemed to have been made in the United States in the state of Colorado and shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Colorado without reference to principles of conflicts of law. By using this web site, you consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the state of Colorado.

Severability

If any provisions of these Terms of Use are deemed to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, such offensive provisions shall be severed to the extent required to conform to applicable law, and the remaining portions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

Contact Information

To contact NSDL, please visit our Contact page

Privacy Policy

Revision date: Jan. 24, 2013

Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes the data collected by the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) , the privacy needs of NSDL users with the library’s need for information necessary to provide users with high quality services. Contact NSDL with questions about NSDL’s  privacy practices not addressed here.

Domains

The NSDL Privacy Policy applies to nsdl.org; publicly available NSDL sites available via wiki.ucar.edu; or other NSDL-developed sites or domains providing services for STEM education. This policy is also applicable to the NSDL-held data generated by the NSDL on iTunes U site, although additional privacy policies established by Apple Corporation may also apply. If users leave these domains for other sites, including the sites of other NSDL projects or resources, this Privacy Policy will no longer apply. Users are encouraged to be aware of and read the relevant policies on the portals and services they visit.

General Use of Information

NSDL receives and stores certain types of information whenever you interact with the web site. For example, NSDL maintains web activity log files such as the number of pages requested, time spent on a page, search queries and result sets from search queries, and uses web metrics to record the details of user visits, including pages viewed, type and version of operating system and web browser used, the IP address of the computer you are running on, the Internet domain for your Internet servicer (such as company.com or school.edu), the date and time of the visit, and other data.

NSDL may use this information to diagnose and solve problems with its services, to identify and resolve problems with computer security, and to understand and improve its services. NSDL also extracts and aggregates these data to gauge and improve the effectiveness of the site and its services. In addition, this information is aggregated for statistical purposes and may be made available publicly, such as in reports or other communications.

Use of HTTP Cookies

HTTP cookies are small text files that a web site uploads to a user’s computer in order to provide the computer with information for subsequent visits. These files allow users whose computer accepts cookies to access certain features of the web site more efficiently after the first visit. NSDL uses cookies for purposes of authentication, user tracking, and maintaining user preferences across browser sessions.

Users may set their browser to refuse cookies from NSDL sites. If users choose this option, they may still gain access to most of the services on NSDL sites, but may not be able to save preferences, such as search preferences; access materials requiring a login, or take advantage of other interactive elements offered by NSDL.

Signing Up for Services

The personal information that NSDL obtains about use of its site is information supplied voluntarily by the user. If you are asked to provide, and do provide, personal information, NSDL will process such information for specific and limited purposes which we inform you about when we ask you for information (the “Purpose”). For example, we may collect and use personal data to provide you with certain products or services, to enroll you for a conference or other event that you request, to respond to a question, or to communicate with you for other purposes.

Sharing of Information

NSDL will not sell, share, or otherwise distribute your personal data to third parties, except that such data may be transferred to third parties who act for or on behalf of NSDL, or in connection with the business of NSDL, for further processing in accordance with the Purpose for which the data were originally collected.

NSDL collects user action data including comments, ratings and other information about users’ experiences with NSDL resources as a data type known as paradata, which may be reused by other sites as a metric of resource utility through data exchange services. NSDL will not knowingly share personally identifiable information related to such contributions with external parties.

Security

NSDL maintains all personal data with technical, administrative, and physical safeguards intended to protect against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper use. No computer system or information can be completely protected against every possible hazard, but NSDL provides reasonable and appropriate controls to protect personal information against foreseeable hazards.

Public Forums

NSDL sites may make bulletin boards or discussions available to users. Any information that users post to a public forum or email list becomes public information. Therefore, you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information. Unsubscribing from an email list or forum will not remove any name, email address, or information that was part of any previous posting from any archive of these lists or forums. In cases where such information is submitted via any registration process, the information in the public forum will not be removed when the registration is terminated and a user’s registration information removed.

Policy for Children Under 13

NSDL does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from or about children under age 13. Students are advised to consult with their parents or teachers before giving any personal information online.

In its registration process, NSDL requires users to state if they are less than thirteen years of age. Children under 13 years of age are prohibited from directly registering for any of our services, and user accounts will not be created on NSDL sites for users under thirteen years of age. If we discover that we have received any information from a child under 13, we will delete that information immediately.

Compliance with Court Orders

NSDL may disclose information in response to an official legal request such as a court order or subpoena.

Maintenance of Document

This document has been developed by NSDL staff with review and approval by Legal Counsel at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the legal entity hosting the NSDL program. NSDL staff are responsible for the maintenance of this document, which is reviewed and revised as necessary to reflect changes in the capabilities, practices, and procedures of NSDL, and/or on advice of legal counsel.