Libraries are on the look-out for thieves who steal rare books, cut out valuable resources and sell them on the Internet.
An e-commerce site, eBay, lists more than 1,000 old and rare books in its online auctions. Area libraries say they are aware of the idea that some users of eBay sell books they stole from libraries.
“Most of us, if we stole a variety of things, we wouldn’t know who to take it to sell it. eBay provides a vehicle for people who steal stuff to unload it,” said Cliff Haka, the director of MSU Libraries.
The FBI reported literature and a county atlas printed in the 1880’s was stolen from the Romeo Public Library in Michigan, and the library wasn’t even aware that the material was missing.
Haka said the MSU libraries have not suffered any substantial losses, but they do take precautions.
“We think we do a reasonable job protecting the things that are essential, and we do a good job making the majority of our materials available for people to take out,” he said.
On the eBay site, each page of a 128-year-old Michigan atlas was on sale separately. Pages from the almanac like the map of Oakland County sold for $29.50 last week.
“Most libraries cannot support a procedure that would check every page of every book when it is checked in,” Haka said. “We do take the most valuable materials and put them with our special collections and rare materials, where people cannot take them away and they use them under supervision.”
First edition copies of Jack Kerouac’s “On The Road” sell for $2,000 on eBay, and original Charles Darwin material sells for $1,500. But few know for certain if these books are legitimate - and not stolen from libraries.
East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbott Rd., is combating the problem through security systems. Metal strips are in books so that the casual thief is detected at the circulation desk.
“We assume that people are not thieves, but we do have a regular system of sending notices (to people with overdue books),” said Laurie St. Laurent, the head of adult and children’s services.
East Lansing Police are willing to help retrieve stolen books, even online.
“We’d pursue it. We’ve done it in the past with things online other than books,” East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said.
“Police could pose as potential buyers for stolen property.”
Local stores like Curious Book Shop, 307 E. Grand River Ave., and Archives Book Shop, 517 W. Grand River, keep an eye out for books that may have been stolen from libraries.
“We’ve had times where we’ve called the police on the spot because we are uncertain of the situation,” said Ray Walsh, owner of both book stores. “ We won’t buy anything that hasn’t been officially withdrawn from the library.”
Walsh said that his stores have used eBay on a limited basis - in a legal way.
“We do occasionally list things on eBay, but not often. We haven’t utilized eBay to a significant extent,” he said. “When you are dealing with eBay, you don’t know who you are dealing with and that is a major problem.”
Some students say they don’t like that some resources are at risk.
“It is morally wrong and they are stealing more than just a book,” elementary education sophomore Melissa Duick said. “They are taking something from the community for their own personal gain.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
