Security Camera Policy

Approved by the Centre County Library & Historical Museum Board of Trustees: 9/26/2024

Policy Statement:

The Centre County Library and Historical Museum strives to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for staff and patrons across all our locations. In pursuit of this objective, selective areas of library premises may be equipped with video cameras.  Library video camera security systems shall be used only for the protection and safety of patrons, employees, and property, and to assist in law enforcement.  Video security systems are intended to complement and not replace other library security procedures.

Definitions:

The security camera system is a closed network of cameras utilized to capture images and transmit them for display on a limited number of monitors.

Regulations:

1.     Only the Library Executive Director, Branch Managers, or other employees designated by the Director are authorized to access, review live or stored images, or operate the video security system. Still shots or portions of video may be shown to other staff members for security purposes.

2.     Reasonable efforts shall be made to safeguard the privacy of patrons and employees. Cameras will not be positioned to identify a person’s reading, viewing, or listening activities in the Library.

3.     With the exception of records retained for criminal, safety, or security investigations, the libraries will only maintain a copy of recordings for a limited period.

4.     The  Director and/or other designated staff may use a screenshot or portion of the recorded data to request law enforcement review to assess a security risk or to investigate a crime.

5.     For investigations initiated by law enforcement, only the specific recorded data requested in a subpoena will be made available to law enforcement. Only the Director or the Director’s designee will be authorized to release images to law enforcement.

6.     The security cameras and the recorded data shall be considered confidential and maintained in a secure manner.

7.     Confidentiality and privacy issues prevent the Library from allowing the public to view recorded security camera footage.

8.     Signage shall be posted to inform the public of the presence of security cameras.