RE: theft from collection

Mike Boedicker (mboedicker@hotmail.com)
Wed, 5 Mar 2003 07:43:52 -0800 (PST)

Maureen,
We've had (and apparently still have) in-house theft problems too.
Unprocessed CDs and videos were being stolen from the AV workroom where they
were kept on open shelves -- the workroom door was always locked, but
everyone's key opens it because AV is not always staffed and other staff
often need to get in to that room. We replaced the open shelving with a
locking metal cabinet, and only I and my co-worker have keys. That still
doesn't prevent in-house theft once stuff is put out for circulation --
staff merely has to remove the Kwik (security) case and walk out the staff
entrance, never encountering the magnetic gate. This is apparently what has
been happening recently, with new videos and esp. CDs disappearing, often
before they've even circulated once. Country/Western CDs are the big new
target. It's frustrating as hell when it's an inside job but there's not
much that can be done.

We inventory the collection every few years, but not on a specific
timetable. We're due to inventory any month now...

Mike

Mike Boedicker
Audiovisual Director & Webmaster
Danville Public Library
319 N. Vermilion, Danville, IL 61832
(217) 477-5223 ext. 123 / Fax: (217) 477-5230
mboedicker@hotmail.com
http://www.danville.lib.il.us

Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 15:18:56 -0500
From: "Maureen Tripp" <Maureen_Tripp@emerson.edu>
To: <videolib@library.berkeley.edu>
Subject: theft from collection
Message-ID: <926B4A8D55661047B1353EC03E69CE2DACF884@mail.emerson.edu>

First, thank you to everyone who sent advice regarding my previous
question
about an instructor who wanted to add pornography to the video collection.
So
far, the instructor hasn't made specific requests, but once she does, I
feel
better prepared.

Now, a more pressing problem. We have had an epidemic of missing DVDs
from our
collection--not in circulation, not late. About half were last circulated
to
students; many were inhouse bookings, and 7 (out of 28) were never
circulated at
all, meaning they were handed to customers without being recorded in our
circulation system, or were stolen. I think it is pretty obvious we are
dealing
with an inhouse thief.

Has anyone ever dealt with a similar situation? And a related question:
how
often, and how, do you inventory your collections?
Thanks for any feedback.
Maureen

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