Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–Has the Columbia Country Rural Library District (CCRLD) been operating a surveillance system at the Dayton Public Library that records audio and video?

Library Director Dusty Waltner ordered a 12-camera surveillance system for the library building that was approved by the Board of Trustees in May of 2018, according to records of Library Board minutes.

Minutes also show that signs indicating to the public that visual and audio recording devices were being used in the facility and annex were not installed until months after the April 15, 2019 meeting, when the signs were ordered, the Dayton Chronicle has discovered. The public usage agreement for the Delany Room was also modified to include notice of surveillance, minutes indicate.

The Board of Trustees and Director changed its surveillance policy at the April 15, 2019, board meeting to specify video only, and that the audio would remain “off permanently,” minutes of that meeting show. This was revised from the policy adopted in July of 2018.

Regardless if the library continues to use audio surveillance, the fact that audio surveillance was ever used is against the law, according to Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney C. Dale Slack. The use of “audio is not okay under RCW 9.73.030(1)(b), unless a verbal announcement that the conversation is about to be audio recorded is made, and is also on the audio recording,” Slack said. (RCW 9.73.030(3).)

Just posting a sign is not enough—in fact, according to Slack, in the Columbia County jail, each telephone call from an inmate begins with an announcement that the conversation is going to be recorded, even though there are signs that advise everyone that such conversations are going to be recorded.

According to state law, the use of audio recordings in a public place is prohibited, even in the presence of signs. Early last year, an audio/video recording was made available after a public-records request was made. This recording was of a former employee, Shakira Bye, unbeknownst to her, and it allegedly contributed to the grounds for her dismissal.

With the existence of the audio/video recording that was allegedly done without permission, despite the policy, the question remains: is there any way of knowing for sure if the library is regularly using audio recording? The public simply has to take library administrators’ word for it. Some groups meeting in the Delany Room may feel uncomfortable if they thought their conversations might be recorded and listened to.

Board of Trustees Chair Tanya Patton was asked to respond to questions about the surveillance system, but declined.

Presently, the CCRLD policy to qualify its position to continue the use of a surveillance system is as follows: “Columbia County Rural Library District strives to maintain a safe and secure environment for its staff and patrons. To this end, CCRLD public service areas may be equipped with security cameras to promote the safety of patrons and staff and to provide extra security for resources and facilities,” according to CCRLD Digital Surveillance Policy.