What we hold, and what we do not.

Last updated 18 October 2026. This policy explains what personal data the library collects, why, and how you get it back or get rid of it. The library is run by Alexandra Paiz Delgado in Guatemala, who is the data controller for everything described here. Questions and requests go to hello@libraryofalexandria.dev.

The short version

There is no tracking pixel, no advertising network, and no third-party script watching you read. The library counts how many people open each page, so it can tell which writing is worth doing more of, and a count is all it is. No cookie is set, your address is not stored, your browser is not fingerprinted, and nothing links one page you opened to another. Nothing is sold or rented to anyone, ever. The only personal data the library holds is what you typed in yourself, which is your email address and optionally your name.

What is collected

If you join the digest, the library stores your email address, your name when you give one, which list you are on, and whether you are still subscribed. It also stores which page you signed up from, so it is possible to tell which writing brings people in. That is all.

If you create an account, authentication is handled by Clerk, which stores your email address, your name when you give one, and your login credentials. The library itself keeps only an account identifier, your email, your name, and your subscription status. The library never sees or stores your password.

If you subscribe to the paid tier, payment is handled entirely by Polar, which acts as the merchant of record. Polar collects your payment and billing details under its own privacy policy. The library never receives your card number and never stores payment details.

Page counts. When a page is opened, the library writes one row recording which page it was and when. That row holds nothing else. There is no identifier in it, so there is no way to tell whether two rows are the same person, and the library could not single you out from them if it tried. The purpose is to know which skills and which writing people actually read, which is the only thing it is used for.

Server logs. Hosting produces ordinary request logs that may include IP addresses, kept briefly for security and debugging. These are not used to build a profile of you.

Why it is held

Your email exists so the digest can reach you, which is the thing you asked for. Account data exists so you can sign in and so the library knows what you have access to. Subscription status exists so paid features work. There is no other purpose, and your data is never used to train a model.

The legal basis, for readers in Europe and the United Kingdom, is your consent for the digest and the performance of a contract for accounts and paid features. You may withdraw consent at any time, which is what the unsubscribe link does.

Who processes it

The library uses a small number of service providers, and each one only touches what it needs. Clerk handles authentication. Neon hosts the database. Vercel hosts the site. Polar processes payments and is the seller of record for them. During the current early phase the weekly digest is delivered through Gmail, which means your email address passes through that account when an issue is sent. Each of these providers processes data on the library’s instructions and under its own security commitments.

The research pipeline that reads papers and writes the digest runs on separate infrastructure and never receives subscriber data.

How long it is kept

Subscriber records are kept while you are subscribed. When you unsubscribe, the record is marked inactive and kept only so the library does not accidentally email you again, and you can ask for it to be deleted outright. Account data is kept while the account exists and is deleted when you delete the account. Payment records are kept by Polar for as long as tax law requires them.

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of everything held about you, ask for it to be corrected, ask for it to be deleted, ask for it in a portable format, or object to a particular use. Write to hello@libraryofalexandria.dev and it will be handled within thirty days, usually much sooner. You do not need an account to make a request, and you will not be asked why. Every digest also carries an unsubscribe link that works immediately without writing to anyone.

Readers in Europe and the United Kingdom also have the right to complain to a local data protection authority.

Transfers, children, and changes

The library is operated from Guatemala and its providers operate servers in the United States and Europe, so your data is processed in those places. The library is not intended for children under 16 and does not knowingly collect their data.

If this policy changes in a way that matters, the date above changes and subscribers are told in the digest before the change takes effect. Minor wording fixes will not be announced.