'Help tackle theft
of library books'
13 August 2003
By Nangamso Mabindla
Buffalo City libraries have called on the city's people to help combat book theft from the city's 20 libraries.
This follows reports that the municipality is losing R250 000 rand a year in stolen books from its libraries. Deputy manager of libraries Mary Davidson said people steal from the libraries because they do not understand their value. "They think they are stealing from the municipality but in reality they are stealing from the city's people and thus depriving them of their right to use the libraries' resources."
She said the libraries lose books in three ways:
- Books legally borrowed from the library and never returned
- Books stolen from the library by users
- Part-time users like school children not returning books when doing research at the libraries for school projects.
Davidson said library members should be careful with their library cards. "People should treat their library cards the same way they treat their bank cards. They shouldn't lend out their cards to people because some do not return the books and the cardholder has to pay for unreturned books," Davidson said.
The central library in the City has surveillance cameras and security guards to monitor the library but book theft continues. Davidson said the municipality considered adding book fines to the water and electricity bill. "That sounds good but not feasible because we can't cut off water and electricity because people will protest that," she said
Davidson also added that it is difficult to solve library theft but they have asked for reinforcement in security personnel at the libraries.
"Right now we appeal to our people to take extra care of their cards, report them when they are stolen and Buffalo City people should remember that this is a free library they can use anytime they want," said Davidson.
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