School Library Theft

• NCJ Number: 79142
• Journal: Library and Archival Security Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1980) Pages: 29-38
• Author(s): J A Paris
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Although concern about library theft is high among professionals and the public, a survey of elementary and secondary schools in Texas indicated that theft was a minor problem and had actually declined in many libraries between 1978 and 1979.

Abstract

Current literature contains many articles about the escalation of theft among all types of libraries, but few empirical studies have been conducted on the dimensions of the problem. In May 1979, this project mailed questionaires concerning theft and security measures to librarians of 100 selected public and private elementary and secondary schools in Texas. A response rate of 52 percent was obtained from schools ranging in size from 230 to 2,700 students. The schools' library collections varied from 2,500 to over 26,000 items. The number of items missing from both loss and theft in 1978-1979 totaled 3.71 percent of the collections, but over half the respondents reported loss/theft figures under 1 percent. Secondary schools experienced higher losses than elementary schools. For comparison purposes, some professionals consider a normal loss figure to be 3 percent. Statistics on the year 1977-78 from 34 respondents showed that theft had declined slightly in 45 percent of the libraries between 1978 and 1979 while 18 percent showed no appreciable change. The survey discovered that librarians were concerned about theft and were discussing it with administrators and students. The door check was the most frequently used preventive technique, and no schools had installed electronic security systems. Prime targets for theft included new titles; paperbacks; books on sports, drugs, the occult, automobiles, and sex education; current teenage fiction books; and items in demand for class assignments. Libraries with one door had lower theft rates than those with multiple doors. Tables, two references, and the questionnaire are provided.