LISNews: Librarian News

Cortez writes "Folks in Portland are missing some library items - 18,786 to be exact - yes, that sounds bad but how big is their total collection? I have trouble finding a pair of socks.
Here's The Story
All 17 branches will now store the most easily taken items — DVDs and CDs — behind the checkout counter. At the three largest branches, systems already in place meant to deter thieves have been disabled by library personnel — after repeated malfunction.
Ginny Cooper, the former library director, said she unplugged the magnetic security gates six years ago and stopped hiding magnetic sensors in most of the library's collection because there were so many false alarms."

mdoneil writes "Some fine gentleman stole thousands of dollars of loot from libraries and sold it at a flea market.

Apparently those call numbers didn't mean too much to the purchasers. Have a look a this fine fellow and read the article here."

Anonymous Patron writes "Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - Columbus,GA reports Former Phenix City-Russell County Librarian Irma H. Duke was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison and ordered to repay $70,000 to the library after she pleaded guilty to first-degree theft of property."

News From The UK: Books worth £3,000 and believed to have been stolen have been seized by police in a raid on a Leeds house.
Officers from the new Leeds city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team uncovered the mass of books when they swooped on an address in Armley as part of a two week concerted operation against theft offences.
A 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged with theft in connection with the discovery and is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court next Monday."No crime is without a victim and we are here to ensure the perpertrators are rigorously prosecuted."
... and the joys of book reading (legally)