LISNews: Librarian News

The Guardian (UK) has this story on how Britain is becoming the
new centre for the illegal trafficking of rare books and
manuscripts, many of which have been stolen from European
libraries.
While they can\'t seem to keep the illegal stuff out, the
good stuff is getting away.
This story from The Independent on how British libraries
are not able to
compete with \"wealthy American libraries\" which are
offering big bucks to buy up the papers of famous modern
British authors including Ted Hughes, Martin Amis and Salman
Rushdie.
Now if someone will just point me at one of these wealthy
American libraries...

Bob Cox forwarded this along with this warning: \"Granted this is North Carolina orientated, but these \'people\' have a habit
of crossing state borders.\"

\"Several libraries in our area, Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, and Iredell so far, have probably been victimized by a book thief.  She is very clever and evidently has had no trouble obtaining a library card in all these libraries as she presents identification.  She has given the following names, April Bumgardner, Newyum, Hudson, Nelson, & Coleman so far.  All the above libraries have overdue books checked out by this lady that unfortunately number more than 600 items so far.  She used to work at a bookstore and it appears that many of these items are listed on her Internet site for sale.
More.... -- Read More

The videos, DVDs and compact discs on the shelves are making public libraries a target for thieves, who can sell recently released music and movies on the street for a tidy sum. The thefts have raised the issue of whether libraries should offer recently released videos and CDs to their patrons and whether they should cut back on the number they buy. \"Short of not buying these kinds of releases, the best thing libraries can do is wait until the releases are no longer new releases,\'\' said Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayer\'s Union. Sepp said another option would be to prohibit the checkout of videos and CDs and to instead require patrons to view or listen to them at the library. But some librarians bristle at the idea of cutbacks or restrictions. [more...] from The Columbus Dispatch.

Bob Cox sent in this Pioneer Planet Story on the big find of Hundreds (over 800)of books missing from Twin Cities libraries in a mans home. The police expect to seek felony theft charges against 36-year-old man. In one case he checked out every copy of an aquarium book carried at three Dakota County libraries, using different names. Full Story

``His reading tastes were rather eclectic,\'\' said Roseanne Byrne, assistant director of the Dakota County library system. ``I think he probably was playing a wonderful game, a complicated game, and wanted to see how far it would go for whatever reason.\'\'