ASHLAND -- Libraries will be able to help law enforcement investigations without compromising the privacy of their patrons under provisions of a new bill signed into law this month.
The law allows libraries to turn over video surveillance tapes to police if a crime has occurred in the library. It stems from separate incidents in Neenah and Sun Prairie libraries where crimes were committed, but librarians had to wait until they were served with a subpoena.
Under this new law, Northern Waters Library Service Director Jim Trojanowski in Ashland said they can move faster against lawbreakers, if a patron is caught defacing library materials or is engaged in more serious conduct like sexual misbehavior.
Trojanowski said this is a narrow exception to the court order requirement, so the privacy of patrons isn't compromised. He said law enforcement officials can't come in and ask to view the surveillance tapes to try to find out who may be using certain sections of the library or who may have borrowed particular material without a court order.
The new law is supported by both the Wisconsin Library Association and law enforcement agencies.
