Show Rare books stolen from college libraries CPS GPS In the largest of several recent big college library book theft cases Iowa police have arrested a man who they found with some rare books and manuscripts reported stolen from campuses The sheer number of books found has hampered efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to charge Stephen Blumberg a year 41 old resident of St. St Paul Iowa with stealing books said Linda Reada an assistant US U.S. Attorney in Des Moines Iowa Until it does file such a charge the FBI is accusing B Blumberg I u m b er g a of fill illegally e g a 11 y transporting stolen stained- stained glass windows that also were found in possession Some people are just motivated by book lust said J. J Fraser Cocks III curator of special collections at the University of Oregon's library Police found at least 19 rare books and documents documents documents docu docu- ments stolen from Cocks' Cocks library in Blumbergs Blumberg's posses posses- sion Similarly federal agents in May arrested Texas AM University student Charlton J. J Matovsky for interstate transport of more than books stolen from libraries at Texas AM Northwest State Louisiana and Florida State University while Matovsky now 25 was a student there In March police charged University of Pennsylvania time part-time library employee Kathleen with theft after recovering more than stolen rare books worth almost 1 16 6 million from her home and a nearby rare book store Stealing from libraries is nothing new maintained Bill Moffett director of libraries at Oberlin College in Ohio and a former president of the American Library Association tion He estimated that approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately one percent of a library's collection will turn up missing each year which can add up to annual losses of millions of dollars Moffett speculated that a larger population and more systematic reporting might account for the apparent in in- crease Others maintain students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents are stealing books from other students if not their libraries more frequently Book stealing does seem to have increased in the past year or two at Virginia Polytechnic Institute noted Jerry Diffell manager of the off-campus off Tech Bookstore Book thefts among students students students stu stu- dents also have been on the therise therise therise rise at the universities of Il Illinois Illinois Illinois Il- Il at Champaign and Twin Minnesota-Twin Cities police there report Diffell said most books are stolen from book bags and libraries at the end of the semester when many students students students stu stu- dents are selling back books and its it's hard to keep track of what books might be stolen We probably catch 10 percent of the books reported Diffell estimated He added that he had received 61 reports of stolen books since January 1990 II At At minimum its it's an inconvenience inconvenience inconvenience in in- convenience for a student to have books stolen said John Boling textbook manager for Virginia Tech's University Bookstore It lilt can be a catastrophe if its it's near finals and the book had the students student's notes in it Florida State discovered its library was missing books last spring when students complained complained complained com com- they couldn't find the research materials they needed recalled Charles Miller director of libraries They were really mad Because of the money involved involved involved in in- the lithe public generally is the victim of book thefts said Oberlin's Moffett Ultimately the victims are the people of the State of Oregon Cocks added of the Blumberg case Given the difficulty of securing a library which after all is designed to let strangers use its assets library officials are not sure what to todo todo todo do next In the middle ages they chained the books to the stalls Moffett noted |