Last updated: June 2025
Welcome to Shelf Conscious — a literary community built around the love of prose and shared reading joy.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when interacting with us, in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 and other applicable privacy laws.
Who we are
Shelf Conscious is a literary community based in Lagos, Nigeria.
We host quarterly gatherings, publish a monthly zine, run a podcast, and send out a newsletter to our members. We also maintain the website weareshelfconscious.com, where you can learn about our community and sign up for membership.
What Personal Data We Collect
We collect and process the following types of personal data:
Information You Provide to Us
- Email address — when you sign up for membership/newsletter
- Full Name — when you sign up
- Phone Number — when you sign up
- Birthday Date — when you sign up
- Location — when you sign up
- Event RSVP details — if you sign up for one of our gatherings
- Messages or inquiries — when you contact us via email or forms
Automatically Collected Information
- IP address and browser information — collected automatically when you visit our website, for security and analytics
- Cookies — small files stored on your device to improve your experience on the website (see Cookies section below)
How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To send you membership updates and the Shelf Conscious newsletter
- To send you zines or information about new zines
- To manage event invitations and RSVPs
- To communicate with you about community news
- To operate and maintain the website
- To wish you a happy birthday
- To comply with legal obligations and protect the security of our site
- To improve our website and community offerings (analytics and feedback)
We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties.
Cookies
We use cookies to enhance your experience on our site, such as:
- Remembering your preferences
- Understanding how visitors use the site (analytics)
- Managing logins (for site admins)
You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, though this may affect your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in line with this policy.
Media
If you upload images to the Shelf Conscious website (for example, for a Shelfmate Feature or community directory), please avoid including location data (EXIF GPS), as others may be able to extract it.
By attending Shelf Conscious events, submitting content, or taking part in community features, you permit us to use your image and submitted materials (such as event photos or features) in our newsletter, on our website, and Shelf Conscious social media.
Embedded content from other websites
Our website and zine may include embedded content (such as videos or posts from Instagram, YouTube, or other platforms).
These third-party platforms may collect data about you. We do not control how external platforms handle your data — please review their privacy policies.
data Sharing
We do not sell your data.
We may share your data with trusted service providers that help us operate our website, newsletter, and events (for example, email marketing platforms, website hosting). These providers must protect your data and only use it to support Shelf Conscious.
data Storage
We keep your personal data for as long as you remain a member of the community or until you unsubscribe.
If you unsubscribe from the newsletter, we will stop sending you emails, but we may retain minimal information (such as your email) to ensure you are not re-added accidentally.
You can request that we fully delete your personal data at any time (see Your Rights).
Your Rights Under the NDPA
Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request the deletion of your data
- Object to certain types of processing
- Withdraw your consent at any time
To exercise your rights, email us here
data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.
However, no system is completely secure, and we encourage you to also protect your own data when interacting online.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect changes in our community, website, or legal obligations.
If we make significant changes, we will notify members via the newsletter or on the website.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us via our Contact page.
Summary
Shelf Conscious is committed to protecting your privacy and respecting your rights as a member of our community.
You are in control — you can unsubscribe or request deletion of your data at any time.