In Maryland, Thieves Take $100K+ Worth of Books From Public, Academic Libraries
Shortsighted strategy: borrow books, don't return them, get caught
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 11/12/2009
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- High-value books sold for a song
- Borrowers could be traced
- University tightens borrowing limits
A dozen people have been accused of stealing more than $100,000 in books from public libraries and public academic libraries in Maryland. However, unlike some thieves who try to spirit books out of the building past security barriers, these accused thieves simply checked out the high-value books and tried to turn them into cash.
“It’s an unusually shortsighted thing for a person to do to try to steal books by borrowing them,” Larry Wilt, director of the library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, told LJ. Wilt said one individual borrowed 120 books worth $13,000; many were science-related and nursing-related materials.
The thieves, some of whom were apparently seeking money to buy drugs, removed the bar codes and gave the books to consignment shops, where they could yield as little as 3% of their value, Mary Eilerman, chief of security at Harford Community College, told the AP.
Wilt told LJ that his library, which previously had not set a borrowing limit but monitored large borrowers on a case-by-case basis, has since set a total checkout limit of 50 itmes.
Public library hardest hit
Prince George’s County Memorial Library, Hyattsville, was the hardest hit, losing some $87,000 from 12 of 18 branches. One of those is charged with taking 74 books worth some $9500, according to the Washington Post.
After those books were not returned despite multiple notices, library spokeswoman Bridget Warren told LJ, the library contacted the police. The library, which currently has a 75-item limit, reviews policies annually, Warren said, and may revisit the issue of the borrowing limit.
Contact the author: noder@reedbusiness.com
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