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. Effect of theft and mutilation on the use of library collection in an. Library electronic security systems and the challenges of. 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. Thepersonchargingthismaterialisre sponsibleforitsreturntothelibraryfrom whichitwaswithdrawnonorbeforethe latestdatestampedbelow. Recommendations made in this study includes that there should be increased security in the. Please, sit back and study the below research material carefully.
Book theft and book mutilation in a large urban university library. We also provide guidance on choosing the best security solution for your library. Circumstantial reasons for such deviant behavior were not significant in this study. Oct 26, 2008 as the price of library materials continues to escalate, and library budgets do not usually keep pace with inflation, the importance of securing our collections takes on ever increasing importance, this paper focuses on methods to reduce or prevent library material theft and mutilation that have been used throughout history, and some which. The entire population was sampled using total enumeration sampling technique. The main objective of this study is to examine effect of theft and mutilation on the use of library collection in an academic library in lagos state. Library materials are tagged and if the tag is not deactivated it sounds an alarm. Security measures library preservation and conservation. 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. The findings indicate that main breaches of collection security are book theft, damage, mutilation, or defacement. Collection security management at university libraries arxiv. Mutilation and book theft has also become a common phenomenon in libraries of. Tls offers the most popular products in the market that discourages theft. Librarians could neither curb nor stem the problem.
It is on this premise that this present study wants to investigate the security measures adopted to prevent theft of library resources in selected academic libraries in nigeria. See below for the abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of appendices, list of abbreviations and. Strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in. Library security, materials theft and mutilation in. Our library has converted our entire collection to rfid tags.
These could jokingly be described as library epidemic, and it is a serious crime that affects every library whether big or. Theft and mutilation of library materials springerlink. As with book theft at libraries, vandalism of books has been studied by a number. While mutilation of library resources means the damages of library materials as a result of removal of a page or pages of a book or any. Strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries project material. Download the complete library and information science project topic and material chapter 15 titled problems of theft and mutilation of library materials. 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. This study aimed at investigating users attitude towards material theft and mutilation in delta state polytechnics libraries. It is a considerable loss of resources for libraries with high rates of vandalism.
Acrlrbms guidelines regarding security and theft in special. Once applied, these small white radio id tags are very difficult to remove and theyre placed inconspicuously under the dust jackets so the patrons wont immediately find them. Too often the damage is done quietly and is not discovered until long after the act has taken place. The findings showed that the library is faced with different types of security challenges which are book theft, nonreturn of library materials, book mutilation, keeping books beyond due dates, purposeful misshelving of books, writing on or in books etc. Book theft and mutilation are serious problems ravaging every academic library globally. Causes and effects of theft and mutilation of information by. As with book theft at libraries, vandalism of books has been studied by a number of.
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. 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 statutes apply to such instances as theft, tearing out pages from books and periodicals, highlighting and making other nonerasable annotation. The scenario in developing countries is exacerbated by economic difficulties. Effect of school library on students learning attitude. Library material theft, mutilation, and preventive security. Helen greenl analyzed the articles indexed in library literature from 19531963, which dealt with the destruction of library materials by theft or mutilation. The procedures and guidelines found in college policy will be followed when applicable. Acrlrbms guidelines regarding security and theft in. Library security officers andor special collections administrators should take an active role in raising the awareness of other institutional officials, e. Lincoln 1986 showed that theft and mutilation were an. Whether you use bibliotheca tattletape strips or checkpoint rfid tags, youll find them here. Effect of school library on students learning attitude syed zia ullah shah university of the punjab, lahore m.
Library book theft and audits in university libraries of pakistan. An academic library, being a complex institution must have large quantities of materials to meet the demands of the numerous students, lecturers and faculty officers. If you come across a damaged or mutilated journal, please bring it to the library information desk so that the necessary pages or issues may be ordered and repairs may be performed. Theft from libraries of books, historical documents, maps and other materials from libraries is a significant problem. In the case that library materials are stolen or damaged, university police will immediately be notified to investigate. 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. Theft of library resources is the process of illegal removals of any library resource by a potential user with or without the intention to return it. A study of the solutions to the problems of book theft and. Shahid farooq university of the punjab, lahore abstract the purpose of this study is to unfold the perceptions of school teachers about the importance of school libraries in developing academic attitude among students. One study commissioned in the uk estimated the average loss rate of libraries to theft at 5. In discovering the reasons for and circumstances surrounding the theft and mutilation of library materials, to find out theft and mutilation 121 how it is accomplished. Librarians across the world are increasingly concerned with the safety and physical integrity of valuable intellectual properties. Reports results of a research project designed to gather information on the prevalence of theft in a large university library in england with particular ref erence to students attitudes towards theft and damage, its effect on their study ing and on their preferred methods for its reduction.
It is an open truth that medical journals and books are these days very. Statistics had shown the seemingly excesses on the part of clientele and if the excesses is unchecked it may bring into extinction the existence of the medical library studied in particular and others in general. Uniprojects aim of providing this strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries project research material is to reduce the stress of moving from one school library to. Not only do these problems anger and frustrate library staff and patrons, but also it is expensive to replace damaged and stolen materials. Theft and mutilation of medical information materials is a serious concern of the librarians in nigeria. 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.
These statutes apply to such instances as theft, tearing out pages. 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. Other reasons high on the list were lenient penalties for stealing and inadequate security measures. Librarians consider book vandalism and mutilation a threat to intellectual. Library resources and security challenges research. See below for the abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of appendices, list of abbreviations and chapter one. Call our friendly staff for assistance on selfcheck systems or security gates. Lau which questioned academic library patrons about library book mutilation and theft. Library material theft, mutilation, and preventive. Library resources and security challenges project materials. Assessment of theft and mutilation of information resources. Mutilation and theft in libraries is a menace that has persisted, and it is indeed a global problem. Antisocial and illegal activities significantly affect every type of library and.
Librarybook or materials vandalism, sometimes termed intentional destruction of books or. Damage ranges from a few pages to entire books and journals. 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. Strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic. Objectives of the study to find out the possible causes of book theft and mutilation in lautech medical library, osogbo. Ewing also reported an estimated collection lost rate of 2. That is the duty of the academic libraries to find means of curbing vandalism which constitute a magnitude of book theft, book mutilation and destruction to library property such as window furniture etc. According to research, the problem of periodical and book theft and mutilation is laying waste to vital and expensive library collections throughout the country.
Call our friendly customer care for assistance on selfcheck systems or security gates. The library will adhere to keene state college s policy on academic honesty referred to as college policy when seeking to address incidents of theft and mutilation of library materials. Uniprojects aim of providing this strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries project research material is to reduce the stress of moving from one school library to another all in the name of searching for strategies for combating book theft and vandalism in academic libraries research materials. How to protect your library books from being stolen out of. 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. Theft of library materials therefore involve illegal removal from the library of any materials with no intention to return it, while mutilation of library materials involves willful damage of library materials as a result of removal of pages of a book or any other material which eventually renders such materials useless to other users in. Mutilation and theft in libraries is a menace that has persisted, and the. The problem of theft in libraries and strategies for. All types of library are affected by the incidence of book theft and mutilation, however the academic libraries seem to suffer these scourge more than others. Theft and mutilation of library materials in academic. Book theft and book mutilation in a large urban university. Pedersen periodical and book theft and mutilation are problems encountered by most academic libraries. Abifarin 1997, allen 1997 and bello 1998 reported high rate of book theft, mutilation. Download citation effect of theft and mutilation on the use of library.
It is immorial to mutilate library materials thereby denying others the opportunity of using such materials. Theft and mutilation of library materials in nigerian. Library book theft and audits in university libraries of. Theft and mutilation of materials are problems that affect all library users. Users constant mutilation of very important library materials has caused other users frustration which eventually has very negative effect on library services. While book theft and vandalism in public and academic libraries, as well as archives and special collections, are not. All of the libraries still rely solely on manual checks carried out by unskilled personnel at the library entrance and exit. It is typically prevented by installing electronic article surveillance alarms at the doors. But you are supposed to bring it all back, you know. Causes and effects of theft and mutilation of information material in academic library services in delta state academic libraries are library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary school level, serving the teaching and research needs of students, staff and the community. Pdf reducing book theft at university libraries researchgate. The high cost of photocopying and frequent breakdown of copiers were the causes of library material theft and mutilation. Library materials are daily stolen or mutilated in the face of other antisocial activities, by delinquent users.
However, the worsening state of libraries in nigeria appears to have aggravated its intensity and the consequent detrimental impact. Public libraries are great you get to fill your arms full of the latest bestsellers, even dvds, and sometimes even video games. Collection security management at university libraries. Collections book theft and mutilation has been described as a library epidemic ravaging every academic library globally isebe, 2014. By looking at the proportion of stu dents involved in theft and mutilation of periodicals or books, to discover who is re sponsible. A total of 120 questionnaires were distributed to professional librarians, library officers and library porters security staff in four academic institutions in ibadan.
Theft and vandalism of books, manuscripts, and related materials. More information, including sanctions that may result, is detailed in the student handbooks student conduct policies and procedures sections 43 and 44. The unauthorized removal, mutilation or abuse of library materials is prohibited. Isebe 2014 further affirmed that book theft and mutilation has of late become a canker worm, which has eaten deep into the academic library system without distinction. Whether a library uses open stacks allowing readers direct access to the bookshelves or closed stacks requiring readers to locate a book in the catalog and rely on staff to retrieve it, staff need to observe readers from time to time to discourage deliberate mutilation or vandalism of library materials. As the price of library materials continues to escalate, and library budgets do not usually keep pace with inflation, the importance of securing our collections takes on ever increasing importance, this paper focuses on methods to reduce or prevent library material theft and mutilation that have been used throughout history, and some which have been developed fairly recently. Sep 15, 2019 that is the duty of the academic libraries to find means of curbing vandalism which constitute a magnitude of book theft, book mutilation and destruction to library property such as window furniture etc. While mutilation of library resources means the damages of library materials as a result.
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