From: Marina Brown To: Joseph Dempsey References: <444c8085-a5eb-0ce6-356f-d5feb1b5c18d@gmail.com> <5ca84e3d-49c7-1c4d-eb0e-553b90de7de8@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Hi Joe: In investigating this situation further i obtained the following emails between an anonymised patron and the library director regarding these books. https://vtleaks.org/documents/ANTI-TRANS-FLETCHER-BOOKS2/email-thread.txt As these emails were a discussion of the books, i am wondering why these did not end up in my PRR. Thanks in advance. --- Marina Brown On 7/25/23 14:06, Marina Brown wrote: > On 7/25/23 11:38, Joseph Dempsey wrote: >> Hi Marina, >> >> Thank you, I will forward this to the Mayor's Office for their review. >> >> My best, >> Joe >> > > Thank you very much ! > > --- Marina Brown ------------------------------------------ Good morning Marina, The initial email in the chain you provided was withheld in-full. The response to the email occurred after I had done the search and export. The initial email was withheld under 1 VSA 317(c)(19). There will likely be more detail in the appeal response that will come from the Mayor's Office, but in short, 22 VSA 172 (a) makes patron transaction records confidential. 22 VSA 171 (3) defines patron transaction records to include "library records that contain names or other personal identifying information that discloses an individual’s activities within a library, including the materials that have been viewed in print or electronic form, research questions posed, materials in any format that the patron has requested through interlibrary loan or has borrowed, or any other library service or consultation that the patron has requested." (emphasis added) While I understand you would like the records to only have personal identifying information (PII) removed, the library records exemption is broad and extends beyond just anonymizing the emails. I hope that answers your question. Respectfully, Joe Dempsey -- Joseph Dempsey Public Information Officer City Attorney's Office The City of Burlington, Vermont jdempsey@burlingtonvt.gov Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act. --------------------------------------------- From: Marina Brown In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit On 7/27/23 08:36, Joseph Dempsey wrote: > Good morning Marina, > > The initial email in the chain you provided was withheld in-full. The response to the email occurred after I had done the search and export. The initial email was withheld under 1 VSA 317(c)(19). There will likely be more detail in the appeal response that will come from the Mayor's Office, but in short, 22 VSA 172 (a) makes patron transaction records confidential. 22 VSA 171 (3) defines patron transaction records to include "library records that contain names or other personal identifying information that discloses an individual’s activities within a library, including the materials that have been viewed in print or electronic form, research questions posed, materials in any format that the patron has requested through interlibrary loan or has borrowed, or any other library service or consultation that the patron has requested." (emphasis added) > > While I understand you would like the records to only have personal identifying information (PII) removed, the library records exemption is broad and extends beyond just anonymizing the emails. I hope that answers your question. > Understood ! ...and i appreciate the sanctity of library transactions. ...however, your response should have said that some materials were withheld in full. I will be posting THIS email chain so that people reading vtleaks can also understand how libraries and library privacy works. While i am appalled at the materials in question, i think it is good that they are available for research at the library. I surely don't want to provide the authors and publishers more profits. --- Marina > Respectfully, > Joe Dempsey > > > -- > Joseph Dempsey > Public Information Officer > City Attorney's Office > The City of Burlington, Vermont > jdempsey@burlingtonvt.gov > > Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act. > ----------------