HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Theft from libraries of
book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
s,
historical documents Historical documents are original documents that contain important historical information about a person, place, or event and can thus serve as primary sources as important ingredients of the historical methodology. Significant historical docume ...
,
map A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...
s and other materials from
libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
is considered a significant problem. One study commissioned in the UK estimated the average loss rate of libraries to theft at 5.3%. In the U.S. state of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, the third conviction for library theft is a
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...
, regardless of the value of material. Library thieves, who may be staff or regular visitors of the library, risk being discovered if a book is found in the
library catalog A library catalog (or library catalogue in British English) is a register of all bibliography, bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A catalog for a group of libra ...
, but is missing from the shelves. To avoid this, some thieves also steal the corresponding catalog card.


History

Public libraries' main concerns are not security issues. Instead, the goal of the public library is to freely grant access to resources and information. However, granting this access, especially to a wide variety of library patrons, creates security issues that are a secondary concern of the public library. The secondary concern of library security deals with the increasingly difficult task of enabling free access to resources while also maintaining control of those resources. Enabling free and equal access to all people also includes people who are thieves. The library has been subjected to theft for centuries. One of the earliest deterrents of library theft was the invention of chained libraries, where the books are attached to their bookcase by a chain, which is sufficiently long enough to allow the books to be taken from their shelves and read, but not removed from the library itself. As libraries began to accumulate more resources and more patrons, chained libraries became inefficient, and new methods were created for deterring library theft. As of early 1960's, libraries used a combination of methods for deterring theft. Some methods included manual checkpoints, turnstiles, or electronic theft detectors like Checkpoint, Sentronic, and Tattle-Tape. However, those methods were not always successful, and some libraries still reported losses of $5,000 to $6,000 annually. Currently, there are many new initiatives to prevent library theft. The Association of College and Research Libraries has published a guideline regarding security and theft in special collections. The guideline includes many topics which are also adopted by general collections of the public library.


Prevention

Theft from libraries is typically prevented by installing
electronic article surveillance Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a type of system used to prevent shoplifting from retail stores, pilferage of books from libraries, or unwanted removal of properties from office buildings. EAS systems typically consist of two components ...
alarms at the doors. Library materials are tagged and if the tag is not deactivated it sounds an alarm. In some libraries with older or rare materials, readers are not allowed to take coats or bags into the reading area except for a few items in a clear plastic bag.
Security camera A closed-circuit television camera is a type of surveillance camera that transmits video signals to a specific set of monitors or video recording devices, rather than broadcasting the video over public airwaves. The term "closed-circuit televisi ...
s are used in some libraries. In 2009, due to an increase in theft and vandalism of library materials in the United States, the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
published th
Guidelines Regarding Security and Theft in Special Collections
The document addresses important issues and gives strategies for libraries developing adequate security measures for special collections. The organization suggests appointing a security officer, developing a written security policy, ongoing personnel management and training, and conducting regular inventory checks. There are also guidelines given for creating an action plan on what to do if the library has discovered a theft or any staff members witness a theft occurring.


Trends

In public libraries, librarians have noticed common themes in what subjects are most frequently stolen. Books on topics such as sex and
witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
are popular with thieves, as are guides for
General Educational Development The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four academic subject tests in the United States and its territories certifying academic knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma. This certification is an alternative to the U ...
testing. In a poll taken in 1996, the top three books that went missing were: ''
The Joy of Sex ''The Joy of Sex'' is a 1972 illustrated sex manual by British author Alex Comfort. An updated edition was released in September 2008. Overview ''The Joy of Sex'' was at the top of ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list for 11 weeks and for ...
'', GED Examination Books, and the ''Prophecies'' of
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...
. The
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
records its own issues as the most stolen book from public libraries in the United States. It is followed in the ranking by the
Christian Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
in its different languages and editions.


Incidents and perpetrators

Rare books Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books is '' bibliophilia'', and som ...
departments of libraries especially fall target to professional thieves. In 1996, two rare early Mormon manuscripts were stolen from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, when the thief requested the manuscript and replaced it with a facsimile. In many cases, document thieves occupy positions of trust, or have established records of legitimate accomplishment, prior to their crimes. Examples of notable convicted document thieves include: * Marino Massimo de Caro, director of the Biblioteca Girolamini in Naples, Italy *
John Charles Gilkey John Charles Gilkey (born 1968) is a prolific serial book and document thief who has stolen approximately US$200,000 worth of rare books and manuscripts. Gilkey used Modern Library's List of 100 Best Novels as a guide to what items he would steal ...
*
Barry Landau Barry H. Landau (born c. 1948) is a noted thief of presidential artifacts, collector of presidential artifacts, author, and "self-styled ' America's Presidential Historian'". In July 2011, Landau's associate, 24-year-old Jason Savedoff, was seen ta ...
(born c. 1948) and his accomplice Jason Savedoff, who stole over 10,000 documents from museums and libraries along the East Coast of the United States * former
New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
archivist Daniel D. Lorello * (1933 – 2003), who between 1968 and 1978 stole some 1,600 historical books worth more than $50 million from the Danish National Library * antiquities dealer
Forbes Smiley Edward Forbes Smiley III (born April 13, 1956) is an American former rare map dealer and convicted art theft, art thief. He was found guilty in 2006 of document theft, stealing 97 rare maps originally valued at more than United States dollar, US ...
, who stole nearly 100 maps from libraries in the United States and Great Britain over the course of eight years *Greg Priore, manager of the Oliver Room at the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its main branch is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and it has 19 branch locations throughout the city. Like hundreds of other Carne ...
, who stole $8 million worth of rare materials between 1992 and 2018.


See also

*
Bibliomania Bibliomania is the excessive collecting or even hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged, particularly as a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Bibliomania is not to be confused with bibliophilia, whi ...
*
Bookselling Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, book people, bookmen, or bookwomen. History The foundi ...
*
Book store shoplifting Book store shoplifting is a problem for book sellers and has sometimes led stores to keep certain items behind store counters. Shoplifters at book stores may be thieves who want the book, or thieves who want to make money by selling the book. T ...
* Convicted book-thieves * Library book vandalism * * Zaydani Library, a whole collection of Arabic manuscripts taken away by a French merchant ship after Sultan
Zidan Abu Maali Zidan Abu Maali () (died September 1627; or Muley Zidan) was the embattled Saadi Sultan of Morocco from 1603 to 1627. He was the son and heir of Ahmad al-Mansur by his wife Lalla Aisha bint Abu Bakkar, a lady of the Chebanate tribe. He ruled on ...
of Marrakesh did not pay for transportation and then seized by Spanish privateers.


References


Further reading

* * * * {{Books Library management Document theft Historiography Libraries