Wisconsin Librarians Seek Privacy-Law Amendment (ALA | American Libraries): "A police investigation into whether a crime occurred April 2 at the Neenah (Wis.) Public Library has intensified efforts already underway by the Wisconsin Library Association and state legislators to enable librarians to share surveillance tapes with law enforcement in criminal cases without a subpoena. The investigation involves a patron's report that a man was masturbating in a second-floor book aisle; by the time police arrived the suspect was gone.

Although Neenah Public Library Director Stephen Proces preferred to give police the pertinent surveillance tape immediately, he had to decline until he was served with a subpoena April 18 due to an informal opinion in November 2006 from the Wisconsin Attorney General's office. The request stemmed from several thwarted investigations, including one in which the Sun Prairie Public Library wished to share with police a surveillance tape that might help identify who had stolen SPL's donation box during library hours, according to the Wisconsin Library Association.

WLA is seeking a 'new narrow exception to the court order requirement for release of library records for library administrative purposes including collection of fines and penalties, and the protection of library staff, library users, and library property.' State Sen. Michael Ellis (R-Neenah) and Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) announced April 17 that they would introduce such an amendment. 'The right to privacy is important, but it should not trump the right of the public to be protected,' Ellis said in the April 17 Appleton Post-Crescent. Assistant Attorney General Alan Lee, who wrote the opinion, told the newspaper that he backs the amendment.

Ironically, neither police nor library officials were able to identify the suspect from the subpoenaed video, from which several still photos were made. 'We had 33 employees look at the video, and no one recognized this person,' Proces told American Libraries.

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(Read Original Article - Via ALA | American Libraries.)