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SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY |
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Email this page to a friend Related pagesSan Juan Island Library Web site Previous columnsFind more than you are looking for at the library State library under attack again Remember to improve your memory at the Library Pick up tax info at the library A global perspective on Christmas Balancing Privacy and Protection |
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Library not immune to crime
You may have noticed that the flag was missing from the library's flagpole for a few days last week. We are apparently experiencing a rash of flag thefts on the island recently, which I suspect are the result of someone's opinion of the current political situation. My column last week was about my strong belief in the public library's role in the protection of the right to freedom of speech, but let me say very clearly: theft is theft, and vandalism is vandalism, no matter what the motivation. It was surprising to me to discover how much is lost through theft from libraries. I am not talking about overdue or lost books or items damaged by accident, but about intentional theft and defacement. Not only are books and other materials taken and never returned, but the incidence of damage such as the cutting out of pages or writing commentary or even crossing passages out in ink, happens quite often, even in this "low-crime" area. Miles Harvey wrote a fascinating book called The Island of Lost Maps, the true story of a man obsessed with rare maps who made his living by slicing them out of library books and selling them to dealers. An argument can be made for the fact that public library materials belong to the public, and therefore the patron is, in a very real sense, the owner. It is disturbing to me, though, that a few people feel that their needs supersede the needs of all others, and they have the right to destroy or acquire public materials for their own use or purposes. The whole point of the public library is that everyone can use and enjoy the material. The good news is that two island residents have donated replacement flags to the library - many, many thanks. The bad news is that we have had to purchase an anti-theft device for our pole, which will prevent this from happening again. So far I have not seriously considered purchasing a security scanning system for the library - the kind where the books have to be desensitized when they are checked out or an alarm sounds when they are carried out the door. I think the cost in terms of your thinking that we don't trust you would be much higher than the cost of the items we lose. But I think it's important that the community know that it does happen, even here.
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