Library theft

Theft from libraries of books, historical documents, maps and other materials from libraries is a significant problem. One study commissioned in the UK estimated the average loss rate of libraries to theft at 5.3%.[1]

It is typically prevented by installing electronic article surveillance 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.[2] Security cameras are not commonly used in libraries for privacy reasons. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the third conviction for library theft is a felony, regardless of the value of material.[3]

Library thieves, who may be staff or regular visitors of the library, risk being discovered if a book is found in the library catalog, but is missing from the shelves. To avoid this, some thieves also steal the corresponding catalog card.[4]

In public libraries, librarians have noticed common themes in what subjects are most frequently stolen. Books on topics such as sex and witchcraft are popular with thieves, as are guides for General Educational Development testing.[5] In a poll taken in 1996, the top three books that went missing were: The Joy of Sex, GED Examination Books, and the Prophecies of Nostradamus.[6]

Incidents and perpetrators

Rare books 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.[7]

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
  • John Charles Gilkey, for instance, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books over the course of many years. These crimes were largely the product of a personal obsession, illustrating the range of motives in document thefts.[8]
  • Barry Landau (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 archivist Daniel D. Lorello[9]
  • Frede Møller-Kristensen, 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, who stole nearly 100 maps from libraries in the United States and Great Britain over the course of eight years[10]

See also

References
  1. Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian - Michael Dewe - Google Books
  2. "Help for Researchers: Cloakroom and Lockers". British Library. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  3. Pennsylvania Library Theft Act, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Archived 2012-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
  4. The curious tale of the stolen books, by Martin Vennard for BBC News Magazine, April 24, 2013.
  5. Epstein, Edward (15 May 2001). "U.S. libraries checking out book theft / 'Most-stolen' list will help curb crime". SFGate.
  6. Mosley, Shelley; Caggiano, Anna; Charles, John (October 15, 1996). "The "Self-Weeding" Collection: The Ongoing Problem of Library Theft, and How To Fight Back". Library Journal. 121 (171): 38–40.
  7. "Two Mormon Publications Stolen". Association of College & Research Libraries. September 26, 1996. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  8. Bartlett, Allison Hoover (2009). The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession. Riverhead. ISBN 9781594488917.
  9. Albany Times Union, 7 August 2008
  10. New York Times, 22 June 2006
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