ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


646 /  C&RL News

Guidelines regarding thefts 
in libraries: A draft

By the RBMS Security Committee

D avid S. Zeidberg, C hair

What to do before, during, and after a theft occurs.

T hese draft “Guidelines Regarding Thefts in L i­
braries” are the latest in a series that the ACRL 
Rare Books and Manuscripts Section’s Security 
Committee has developed over the past eight years. 

he Committee began in 1978 with an a d  h oc 
harge to develop guidelines for the marking of 
are materials so that they could be properly identi­
ied when recovered. First published in 1979, these 

ere later made an appendix to the broader 
Guidelines for the Security of Rare Book, Manu­
cript, and Other Special Collections,” published 

by ACRL in 1982, and currently under revision by 
the Committee (see draft in C & R L News, March 
1982, pp.90–93).

The draft below represents a further expansion 
upon these general policies, and now offers li­
braries guidelines for “What to do before a theft oc­
curs”; a checklist of steps to follow when a theft is 
discovered, “What to do after a theft occurs”; and 
“Model legislation: Theft and mutilation of library 
materials,” which the Committee hopes libraries 
and ACRL Chapters will take to their state legisla­
tures to strengthen the laws for the prosecution and 
punishment of library thieves.

The Committee urges the ACRL membership to 
consider two important points about these guide­
lines in reviewing them. First, these guidelines are 
interrelated and should be considered in conjunc­
tion with the previously published guidelines as 
well. Second, these guidelines concern all library 
thefts, not just those which may occur in rare book,

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manuscript, and other special collections depart­
ments within a library system. Some informal sur­
veys over the past few years have shown that these 
latter departments have stronger physical and pro­
cedural security systems in place than do their par­
ent libraries for the general collections. Publicized 
thefts, furthermore, such as the James Shinn case, 
show that thieves, rather than infiltrating estab­
lished systems, instead pilfer from open stacks 
where rare materials acquired years before remain 
unidentified and unprotected. The Committee it­
self conducted one informal, geographic survey in 
1982 among special collections libraries and found 
that most had security policies in place following 
the RBMS general guidelines or had developed par­
allel guidelines on their own. An ARL/Office of 
Management Studies survey in 1984 as part of its 
SPEC  Kit on “ Collection Security in A RL L i ­
braries” showed, however, that only 32% of the 
eighty-nine responding libraries had appointed a 
security officer and only 15 % had written security 
policies to follow.

Perhaps it is time for ACRL and ALA to consider 
the serious problem of library thefts as a library- 
wide issue rather than limiting the concern to rare 
books, manuscripts, and other special collections. 
Once the present guidelines are published in final 
form, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section 
stands ready to develop and co-sponsor ACRL and 
ALA programs at annual meetings which will edu­
cate all librarians about the epidemic proportions



N ovem ber 1986 /  647

of library thefts and the means to cope with them.
Following ACRL/ALA rules, a public hearing

on these draft guidelines will be the agenda of the
RBMS Security Committee’s first session at ALA
Midwinter in Chicago on Saturday, January 17,
1987. Members wishing to make comments and
suggest revisions should plan to attend, or you may
write beforehand to the chair of the RBMS Security
Committee: David S. Zeidberg, Head, D epart­
ment of Special Collections, UCLA Research L i­
brary, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Guidelines for what to do before a library 
theft occurs

I. Library security officer
Appoint a senior library staff member as Secu­

rity Officer who has delegated authority from the
library and the institution to act on their behalf, 
working with the institution’s legal counsel and se­
curity force.

II. Security planning group
Form a group made up of the library Security

Officer and other appropriate personnel to develop 
a specific plan of action to follow when a theft is 
discovered.

III. Publicity
Establish liaison with the institution’s public re­

lations office so that timely and accurate an­
nouncements can be made to the press when a theft 
is discovered.

IV. Law enforcement
A. Establish contact with law enforcement 

agencies—in s titu tio n a l, lo c a l, s ta te , and/or 
federal— to determine who will be called and un­
der what circumstances. The library should main­
tain a list of contacts in each level of law enforce­
ment and discuss the plan of action with each. The
value of materials or other circumstances will dic­
tate which law enforcement agency will handle the
case; for example, the FBI may become involved if
the dollar amount exceeds a minimum level, and
the U.S. Customs may be involved if stolen items
might be smuggled out of the country.

B. Work with the library’s institutional adminis­
tration to insure support for the prosecution of
thieves. This support may range from an active
willingness to participate in the collection of evi­
dence to be turned over to the District Attorney or
U.S. Attorney for further consideration, or it may
involve direct participation in the prosecution by
the institution.

C. Work with appropriate institutional, local, 
and state groups to lobby for strengthening of state
laws regarding library thefts and for diligent prose­
cution of such crimes.

V. Other outside contacts
A. Establish liaison with local rare book, manu­

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 

script, and second-hand dealers to inform them of 
the library’s collecting areas. Thieves sometimes 
try to sell stolen property quickly, and dealers with 
knowledge of the library’s collections can recog­
nize, or at least be suspicious of, materials they 
know the library collects which are offered to 
them.

B. Report the name of the library’s Security Offi­
cer to the RBMS Security Committee and note 
changes. The RBMS Security Committee will com­
pile a list of the security officers annually. The list 
will be available from the ACRL office and will be 
forwarded to the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Associa­
tion of America (ABAA).

C. Establish liaison with the national, online 
network, Bookline Alert/Missing Books and Manu­
scripts (BAMBAM) so that thefts can be reported 
immediately upon discovery. BAMBAM may be 
used not only to report missing books but also to 
check when materials are offered to the library.

VI. Preventive measures in the library
A. Implement the RBMS Guidelines f o r  the Se­

curity o f  R are B o o k , M anuscript, and Other Spe­
cial Collections (1982), available from the ACRL 
Office.

B. Coordinate work in the library to assure 
proper ownership marks appear on the institution’s 
holdings, providing proof that materials, if stolen, 
belong to the library. The RBMS Security Commit­
tee urges the use of its marking guidelines (an ap­
pendix to the security guidelines mentioned above) 
for rare materials. The Committee also recom­
mends recording distinctive characteristics of indi­
vidual copies in cataloguing notes as another means 
of identifying appropriate items.

C. Begin a process of reviewing materials in the 
library’s general collections and open stacks for 
consideration of transfer to Special Collections or 
to a caged, limited access area of the library. The 
RBM S T ran sfer guidelines ( C & R L  N ew s, J u ­
ly/August 1985, pp.349–52) will help the library 
identify candidates for transfer. Some libraries 
have identified rare materials in the open stacks in 
the course of projects, such as reporting to the 
Eighteenth Century Short T itle Catalogue or 
working through a collection development policy 
using the Research Libraries Group Conspectus. 
While the task seems overwhelming for libraries 
large and small, the Committee recommends that 
libraries make a beginning.

VII. Addresses
The Security Committee, ACRL Rare Books & 

Manuscripts Section, ACRL/ALA, 50 East Huron 
Street, Chicago, IL 60611.

Daniel and Katherine Leab, BAMBAM, P.O. 
Box 1236, Washington, C T 06793; (212) 737-2715.



648 /  C&RL News

Checklist of what to do after a theft occurs 
from a library

I. Notification
Notification of Security Officer and appropriate 

library administrators upon suspicion that a theft 
has occurred.

II. Discovery of theft
The library’s collection of evidence of theft. 
•Evidence of intrusion connected with missing 

library materials.
•Indication that patron or staff member has 

stolen books or manuscripts.
•Apprehension of person(s) in act of theft.
•Discovery of systematic pattern of loss.
•Recovery of materials stolen from library.
•Other evidence.

III. Evaluation
Security Officer’s evaluation of evidence with 

administration, law enforcement personnel, li­
brary security group, and legal counsel as appro­
priate, and determination of action.

IV . Actions
•Notify Bookline Alert/Missing Books and Man­

uscripts (BAMBAM), and other appropriate net­
works.

•Notify local booksellers, and appropriate spe­
cialist dealers.

•Request action from law enforcement agen­
cies. Contacts:

•Request action from legal authorities. Con­
tacts:

V. Publicity
•Security Officer meets with administration 

and public relations officer to plan appropriate 
publicity strategy.

•Security Officer or public relations officer pre­
pares news releases to alert staff and community to 
problem and action.

•Security Officer or public relations officer 
handles inquiries from news media.

V I. Security O fficer’s coordination of staff efforts 
•Compilation of inventories.
•Arrangement for appraisals of loss or recovery.
•Preparation of communications to staff about

progress on case.
•Maintenance of internal records of actions fol­

lowed during progress of case.

Draft of model legislation: Theft and mutila­
tion of library materials

D eclaration of purpose
Because of the rising incidence of library theft 

and mutilation of library materials, libraries are 
suffering serious losses of books and other library 
property. In order to assure that research materials 
are available for public use, it is the policy of this 
state to provide libraries and their employees and

agents with legal protection to ensure security for 
heir collections. It is the policy of this state to af­
irm that local, state and federal prosecution of 
rimes affecting books or other library property is 
xecuted with the same degree of diligence as is ex­
rcised in prosecution of crimes affecting all other 
orms of property. Federal statute pertaining to 
tolen property is designed not only to implement 
ederal-state co-operation in apprehending and 
unishing criminals who utilize, or cause to be uti­

ized, channels of interstate commerce for trans­
ortation of property (in value of $5,000 or more) 
f which the owner has been wrongfully deprived, 
ut also to deter original theft.

efinition of terms
“Library” means any public library; any library 

f an educational, benevolent, hereditary, histori­
al or eleemosynary institution, organization or so­
iety; any museum; any repository of public or in­
titu tio n a l records. “ Book or other lib ra r y  
roperty” means any book, plate, picture, photo­

graph, print, painting, drawing, map, newspaper, 
magazine, pamphlet, broadside, manuscript, doc­
ument, letter, public record, microform, sound re­
ording, audiovisual material in any format, mag­

netic or other tape, catalogue card or catalogue 
record, electronic data processing record, artifact, 
or other documentary, written or printed materi­
als, or equipment, regardless of physical form or 
characteristics, belonging to, on loan to, or other­
wise in the custody of a library.

Proposed wording
Section l.a .)  Any person who willfully, mali­

ciously or wantonly writes upon, injures, defaces, 
tears, cuts, mutilates, or destroys any book or other 
library property belonging to, on loan to, or other­
wise in the custody of a library shall be guilty of a 
crime.

Section l .b .)  The willful concealment of a book 
or other library property upon the person or among 
the belongings of the person or concealed upon the 
person or among the belongings of another while 
still on the premises of a library shall be prima facie 
evidence of intent to commit larceny thereof.

Section I . c .) The willful removal of a book or 
other library property in contravention of library 
regulations shall be prima facie evidence of intent 
to commit larceny thereof.

Section I.d.) The willful alteration or destruc­
tion of library ownership records, electronic or cat­
alogue records retained apart from or applied di­
rectly to a book or other library property shall be 
prima facie evidence of intent to commit larceny of 
a book or other library property.

Section II.a .) An adult agent or employee of a li­
brary who has reasonable grounds to believe that a 
person committed, was committing, or was at­
tempting to commit the acts described in Section I 
may stop such person. Immediately upon stopping 
such person the library employee shall identify

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N ovem ber 1986 /  649

himself and state the reason for stopping the per­
son. If after the initial confrontation with the per­
son under suspicion, the adult agent or library em­
ployee has reasonable grounds to believe that at the 
time stopped the person committed, was commit­
ting, or was attempting to commit the crimes set 
forth in Section I, said employee or agent may de­
tain such person for a time sufficient to summon a 
peace officer to the library. In no case shall the de­
tention be for a period of more than one-half (½ ) 
hour. Said detention must be accomplished in a 
reasonable m anner w ithout unreasonable r e ­
straints or excessive force, and may take place only 
on the premises of the library where the alleged 
crime occurred. Library premises includes the inte­
rior of a building, structure, or other enclosure in 
which a library facility is located, the exterior ap­
purtenances to such building, structure, or other 
enclosure, and the land on which such building, 
structure, or other enclosure is located. Any person 
so stopped by an employee or agent of a library 
shall promptly identify himself by name and ad­
dress. Once placed under detention, such person 
shall not be required to provide any other informa­
tion nor shall any written and/or signed statement 
be elicited from him until a peace officer has taken 
him into custody. The said employee or agent may, 
however, examine said property which the em­
ployee or agent has reasonable grounds to believe 
was unlawfully taken as set forth in Sections I.b  
and/or I . c . or injured or destroyed as set forth in 
Sections 1. a and/or I . d . Should the person detained 
refuse to surrender the item for examination, a lim­
ited and reasonable search may be conducted. 
Only packages, shopping bags, handbags, or other 
property in the immediate possession of the person 
detained, but not including any clothing worn by 
the person, may be searched.

Section II.b .) For the purposes of Section II.a

“reasonable grounds” shall include, but not be lim­
ted to, knowledge that a person has concealed or 
njured a book or other library property while on 
he premises of the library.

Section II.c .) In detaining a person whom the 
mployee or agent of the library has reasonable 
rounds to believe committed, was committing or 
as attempting to commit any of the crimes set 

orth in Section I, the said employee or agent may 
se a reasonable amount of nondeadly force when 
nd only when such force is necessary to protect 
imself or to prevent the escape of the person being 
etained or the loss of the library’s property.

Section III. An adult agent or employee of a li­
rary who stops, detains and/or causes the arrest of 
ny person pursuant to Section II shall not be held 
ivilly liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, 

unlawful detention, assault, battery, defamation 
f character, malicious prosecution or invasion of 
ivil rights of the person stopped, detained and/or 

arrested, provided that in stopping, detaining or 
ausing the arrest of the person, the adult agent or 
mployee had at the time of the stopping, detention 
r arrest reasonable grounds to believe that the per­
on had committed, was committing, or was at­
empting to commit any of the crimes set forth in 
ection I.

Section IV. The fair market value of property af­
ected by crimes set forth in Section I determines 
he class of offense: value under $500 indicates a 

isdemeanor; $500– $5,000 a Class I felony; above 
$5,000 a Class II felony.

The aggregate value of all property referred to in 
a single indictm ent shall constitute the value 
hereof.

Section V. A copy or abstract of this act shall be 
osted and prominently displayed in all libraries.

Section VI. This act shall take effect upon pas­
age.

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Library resources in Wisconsin: The preservation outlook

On September 25 and 26, 1986, JoAn Segal and I
had the privilege of attending a conference on pres­
ervation entitled, “Library Resources in Wiscon­
sin: The Preservation Outlook,” held at the Wis­
consin State Historical Society in Madison. The
conference, funded by the Highsmith Company of
Fort Atkinson and sponsored by the General L i­
brary System of the University of W isconsin-
Madison, was attended by seventy-five partici­
pants from libraries in Wisconsin, Utah, Indiana,
Michigan, Iowa, the Library of Congress, and Illi­
nois as well as representatives from the Center for
Research Libraries, the Association of Research L i­
braries, A CRL, the New England Document Con­
servation Center, and the School of Library and In­

 

 
 

 

 

 

formation Studies at Madison.
Speakers, including Jim Haas, Carolyn Morrow 

and Sherelyn Ogden, informed participants about 
the urgency of the preservation issue, both nation­
ally and regionally, preservation administration, 
and many practical and workable approaches to 
preservation. Kaye Gapen shared a proposed plan 
for a Wisconsin preservation program with the au­
dience. This plan was then discussed in small group 
sessions followed by summaries and an agenda for 
the future.

Throughout the conference it became quite clear 
that preservation of library materials, whether in 
print or non-print format, should be a matter of the 
utmost urgency not only for all libraries, but also



650 /  C &R L  N ew s

for the nation as a whole if vital historical informa­
tion as well as electronic information, which is just 
in the development stages, should be preserved. L i ­
brarians must continue to sponsor programs to in­
crease the public’s awareness of the urgency of the

preservation problems. Public and private funding 
sources should be mobilized to support adequate 
preservation programs to conserve the nation’s in­
fo rm a tio n  b a s e . — H a n n e lo r e  B. R a d e r , A C R L  
P resident.

The expanding universe 
of special formats

B y  M a rg a re t E . G allow ay G eo rg e M itchell

A ssociate D irector o j  L ib r a r ie s D irector, M edia L ib ra ry
N orth  Texas State University N orth Texas State University

K e n n e th  L a v e n d e r a n d  W illiam  F lo y d

University B ib lio g rap h er Systems D ev elo p m en t L ib ra ria n
N orth  Texas State University N orth Texas State University

Some local strategies fo r  collection developm ent of 
co m p uter software.

I n  the fall of 1982, the North Texas State Univer­
sity Libraries received several requests for com ­
puter software. Since the libraries had never pur­
chased this type of material, the administration 
appointed a com m ittee to investigate the matter 
and make recommendations. Two issues were of 
immediate concern: the considerable expense in­
volved in the purchase of such materials including 
the necessity for special handling, and the need to 
provide accessibility of the material to our patrons.

Both of these concerns had far-reaching implica­
tions. It was obvious that such materials tended to 
be extremely expensive, difficult to evaluate for 
p u rch ase, tim e-co n su m in g  to ca ta lo g , and r e ­
quired special, diverse equipment to access. For in­
sight into the problems, the committee decided to

review the literature then available, but the review 
provided only limited assistance. Next the com m it­
tee issued a questionnaire to be sent to a select 
group of libraries in the United States and C a n ­
a d a .1 Analysis of the responses to the questionnaire 
simply accented the general lack of information on 
how to deal with machine-readable formats as li­
brary m aterials.2

1The questionnaire was sent to 100 academic 
and research libraries: the 50 libraries identified 
from statistics of Southern college and university li­
braries published by Louisiana State University L i ­
brary; and the 50 largest libraries from the current 
A R L listing not included in the first 50. Forty-eight 
libraries provided usable responses to all questions.

2 P E C  Kit #123, M icro co m p u ter S o ftw a re Poll-