Book theft and mutilation

The issues of book theft and mutilation of library materials have been addressed sparingly in the library literature. This paper is a study of book theft, mutilation and security measures in university libraries in ghana. These could jokingly be described as library epidemic, and it is a serious crime that affects every library whether big or. This research was conducted to assess theft and mutilation of information resources in academic libraries in the niger state of nigeria, the reason why users resort to theft and mutilation, measures used to steal and mutilate information resources, possible measures to stem and curb these acts in the future. Security management for prevention of incessant thefts of information resources in libraries in nigeria is posing a great problem especially in the area of book theft and mutilation. According to bello 2001 book theft is the intentional removal of books from the library in an unauthorized manner.

The scenario in developing countries is exacerbated by economic difficulties. Theft and mutilation of information materials limit the growth and services of the library. This study attempts to investigate the perception of students on the dynamics of book theft and mutilation, including its effects and impact on the library. Female genital mutilation meet your next favorite book. Library book theft and audits in university libraries of. The high cost of photocopying and frequent breakdown of copiers were the causes of library material theft and mutilation. This is due to mounting problems of book loss and mutilation resulting from the antisocial behaviours of some library users. Theft and vandalism of books, manuscripts, and related. International efforts to eliminate it also have a long history. Major forms of theft and mutilation identified from the literature includes theft by patrons and insider theft, tearing of book pages, writing on the pages of the books and marking of books content, all of which could temper. Book theft and book mutilation in a large urban university library a questionnaire study of why students in a large urban university steal and mutilate library books and periodicals identified psychological and sociological motivational factors in the students. See below for the abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of appendices, list of.

Nov 16, 2014 theft and mutilation of information materials limit the growth and services of the library. The study covers the various means and devices to safeguard library materials from being vandalized by obnoxious and. Reducing book theft at university libraries february 2009. Mutilation and theft in libraries is a menace that has persisted, and the worsening state of libraries in nigeria appears to have aggravated its intensity and the consequent detrimental impact. Eric ed373785 book theft and mutilation of library. For the purpose of the study, it is assumed that library users exists in the academic libraries studies. Download complete project seminar research material on a study of the solutions to the problems of book theft and vandalism in the library, nigeria. From the cult of physical mutilation to the intentional. Damage ranges from a few pages to entire books and journals. Librarians could neither curb nor stem the problem.

Causes and effects of theft and mutilation of information issuu. Identifies social and psychological influences, including pressure for academic success, as the primary motivations for theft and mutilation of books at large urban universities. Causes and effects of theft and mutilation of information by. A survey of the problem in the nigerian universities of technology revealed that in common with their traditional counterparts, they are not immune from theft and mutilation. They found that the most common response to why material was stolen or destroyed was that patrons needed material that could not be checked out. A study of the solutions to the problems of book theft and. A bright red scream is thick with scientific studies, uptodate research andmost importanttender. Strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic. Poor security cannot cope with incessant pressure on the library by students who either steal or mutilate booksjournals without regard for laid down library. The problem of theft in libraries and strategies for. It is a considerable loss of resources for libraries with high rates of vandalism. Too often the damage is done quietly and is not discovered until long after the act has taken place. The entire population was sampled using total enumeration sampling.

Pedersen periodical and book theft and mutilation are problems encountered by most academic libraries. Library book theft and audits in university libraries of pakistan. Theftmutilation, lost books, library accounts number. Causes of theft and mutilation of library resources there are many reasons why library users engage in theft and mutilation of library materials. Find out the means through which library materials are. Mutilation and theft in libraries have persisted, and the worsening state of libraries in nigeria appears to have aggravated its intensity and the consequent detrimental impact. Strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries abstract for the purpose of the study, it is assumed that library users exists in the academic libraries studies. Book theft and mutilation have of late become a canker worm, which has eaten deep into the academic library system without distinction. Its a very complicated issue, and if anyones curious, i highly recommend that book, because its beautifully written and people are so candid. Library book or materials vandalism, sometimes termed intentional destruction of books or materials citation needed or book or material mutilation is the act of damaging or defacing library books or other library holdings. Quality of library service, peer pressure, and other circumstantial reasons seem to be insignificant. Mutilation and theft in libraries is a menace that has persisted, and it is indeed a global problem.

Eric ej258227 book theft and book mutilation in a large. The total population for this study comprised of 250 undergraduate registered user of university of lagos library in the 20172018 academic session who are constant users of the library. Abifarin 1997, allen 1997 and bello 1998 reported high rate of book theft, mutilation. Students attitudes toward the problems, their causes, and means to prevent future occurrence. The purpose of the study was to determine the recognition degree of the main justifications for successful introduction of mass customization strategy whether the market is heterogeneous.

Download the complete library and information science project topic and material chapter 15 titled problems of theft and mutilation of library materials. Theft and mutilation of library materials in academic. New york post riveting and dynamically written, this book is an important addition to psychological literature. Assigned security officers or library staff may follow the steps below in cases where a book theft detection exit alarm has sounded or in other circumstances e. Temple university libraries theft of library materials. Download the complete library and information science project topic and material chapter 15 titled method of combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries a case study of ambrose alli university library, ekpoma here on projects. The pdf file you selected should load here if your web browser has a pdf reader plugin installed for example, a recent version of adobe acrobat reader if you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with pdfs, highwire press provides a helpful frequently asked questions about pdfs alternatively, you can download the pdf file directly to your computer. Maud minster book theft and mutilation minster, 1942, p. Sep 15, 2019 it was realized that mutilation of books and book theft are the most serious problems in the libraries while physical or personnel security is used in the two libraries rather than electronic security systems because the former is more economical. Causes and effects of theft and mutilation of information. As the problems of book theft and mutilation of library materials were growing, a survey was conducted by the periodicals and reference departments at the university of memphis library tennessee in the spring of 1994. Abstract the survey discussed in this article investigated the prevalent rate at which book theft occurs, especially in academic society and with special interest in nigerian academic institutions. Collection security management at university libraries.

In view of the inadequacy of resources in nigerian libraries, there is need to conserve what the libraries have acquired by providing adequate security systems and measures. In the aspect of security issues, identified theft and mutilation, vandalism, damages and. It also revealed that a video surveillance system working in conjunction with a barcode and magnetic book control system could help prevent book theft and monitor the move of books and other resources as it moves from one user to another. Assessment of theft and mutilation of information resources. The findings indicate that main breaches of collection security are book theft, damage, mutilation, or defacement. Any person who, owing allegiance to the united states or the government of. The report includes the questionnaire, tables of data, and six references. Identify causes of book theft and mutilation of library materials 2. It is a cultural practice thought to have been established centuries ago, though its origins appear to have been lost in the past. Feb 05, 2015 library security, book theft and mutilation. He identifies selfishness, nonavailability or insufficiency of books, poverty, and denial from using books as the main reasons for book theft and mutilation in libraries.

Theftmutilation of library materials all library users are subject to state law regarding theft, damage, and failure to return borrowed library materials. The main objective was to evaluate the level at which book theft and mutilation are plaguing academic libraries in nigeria and to proffer some measures for curbing the menace. Amy adams, in entertainment weekly on her role in sharp objects a compelling tour of the trauma and science of selfinjury. Users students mostly indulge in these acts of book theft and mutilation in academic libraries. It is immorial to mutilate library materials thereby denying others the opportunity of using such materials. Library security, materials theft and mutilation in technological. These libraries face the problem of mutilation of books, book theft, and misuse of library materials. There are many reasons why library users engage in theft and mutilation of library materials. Librarybook or materials vandalism, sometimes termed intentional destruction of books or materials citation needed or book or material mutilation is the act of damaging or defacing library books or other library holdings. These include mutilation, careless handling, excessive photocopying, misshelving and flicking document over. Theft and mutilation of print collection in university.

Any person who, owing allegiance to the united states or the. Lau which questioned academic library patrons about library book mutilation and theft. As with book theft at libraries, vandalism of books has been studied by a number of library professionals. The main objective was to evaluate the level at which book theft and mutilation are plaguing academic libraries in nigeria and to proffer some measures for curbing. However, the worsening state of libraries in nigeria appears to have aggravated its intensity and the consequent detrimental impact. This study attempts to investigate the perception of students on the dynamics of book theft and mutilation, including its effects and impact on the library, its. Theft and mutilation on the use of library resources in. This study examines effect of theft and mutilation on the use of library collection in an academic library in lagos state, nigeria. Circumstantial reasons for such deviant behavior were not significant in this study. An 11item questionnaire was distributed to 73 students. Theft and mutilation in libraries materials theft in academic libraries is a common problem that deserves serious attention from librarians in particular and other stakeholders in general. It equally revealed that theft and mutilation were encouraged by the lack of adequate copies of titles to meet the needs of users among others. Theft and mutilation of library materials in nigerian. Mutilations of materials occurred in the form of tearing pages of text materials and writing on pages of books.

See below for the abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of appendices, list of abbreviations and chapter one. Stalking the herd, unraveling the cattle mutilation mystery, christopher obrien, intro and analysis by david perkins adventures unlimited, 2014 is a serious 564 page attempt to objectively recount the most significant and interesting reports and literature on strange animal deaths and the efforts by investigators ranchers, law enforcement. Not only do these problems anger and frustrate library staff and patrons, but also it is expensive to replace damaged and stolen materials. Library security, materials theft and mutilation in. Academic libraries have introduced traditional crime prevention measures aimed at curtailing the theft and mutilation of books. Book theft and book mutilation in a large urban university. According to research, the problem of periodical and book theft and mutilation is laying waste to vital and expensive library collections throughout the country. I read a book called a bright red scream, and read about peoples emotional release that comes with the cutting. In addition, the finding of the study shows that, there are security lapses in the implementation of. The expected roles of the academic library tend to lead it to criminal.

In these libraries, the maintenance of effective security for the library resources that have been painstakingly acquired have not been easy. The main objective was to evaluate the level at which book theft and mutilation are plaguing academic libraries in nigeria and to proffer some measures for. Librarians consider book vandalism and mutilation a. Theft and mutilation of library materials springerlink. Ewing also reported an estimated collection lost rate of 2.

A total of 120 questionnaires were distributed to professional librarians, library officers and library porters security staff in four academic institutions in ibadan. The main objective is to determine possible ways or solutions to the problems of security management for prevention of incessant book thefts in the ibarapa polytechnic library. Library security, materials theft and mutilation in technological university libraries in nigeria. A case study of the university library system of kwame nknimah university of science and technology, ghana library journal, vol. All of the libraries still rely solely on manual checks carried out by unskilled personnel at the library entrance and exit. Librarians across the world are increasingly concerned with the safety and physical integrity of valuable intellectual properties. Female genital mutilation fgm occurs in many parts of the world, especially in africa. Theft and mutilation of library materials in nigerian academic. Lau, shukfong as the problems of book theft and mutilation of library materials were growing, a survey was conducted by the periodicals and reference departments at the university of memphis library tennessee in the spring of 1994. Theft and mutilation on the use of library resources in nigerian.