The Jefferson County Library District recognizes that text messaging is an effective communication tool for District employees to send and receive transitory messages to facilitate District business in a convenient and timely manner. The purpose of this policy is to establish rules for the appropriate use and retention of text messages.
DEFINITIONS
- District business – relates to the conduct or performance of the Jefferson County Library District
- Transitory messages – records created or received by the District that are typically of short-term, temporary informational use
- Text messaging – sending or receiving SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), or Apple iMessage messages.
POLICY
Use of text messaging for District business is not permitted on any District-owned or personal device. District business (i.e., any message related to District decisions, outcomes, or actions) must be handled via email or other documented correspondence that can be captured and retained according to records retention policies in RCW 40.14.
Should text messaging be the only manner in which a particular type of District business can be conducted (I.e., providing service to a patron who is unable to communicate through any other medium) a staff member must receive written permission from the Director, use a District-owned device, and archive all messages using a District-approved software.
Use of text messaging for Transitory messages is permitted if the content does not contain any District business. No personal or exempt information shall be sent via text message, including but not limited to: social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, etc.
Employees shall delete transitory text messages from any device (District-owned or personal) as soon as they are no longer needed.
Text messages are subject to public disclosure under the Public Records Act. If the District receives a public records request for any text message correspondence, the Director will ask employees to produce any responsive text messages that exist on their devices at the time of the request.
Below is a list of examples that show when text messaging can be used and when it cannot.
| Allowed to Text | Not Allowed to Text |
| I’m running late. | I’m running late – please have Jennifer take care of opening procedures. |
| Please check your email. | I just sent you an email – who do you think we should appoint to the committee? |
| Please call me. | Here’s the language for the press release: “Announcing the appointment of…” |
| The Manager on Duty is trying to reach you. | The Manager on Duty wants to know if you’ll cover an evening shift tomorrow. |
| Need to discuss road conditions. Please call. | There’s concern about road conditions, should we close early and bring the Bookmobile back? |
| Does the Library have power? | If the power is out at the Library, should we delay the storytime program or reschedule to next week? |