Unusual Suspects: The Case of Insider Theft in Research Libraries and Special Collections

Abstract

The widespread theft of collection materials, including rare and unique items, continues to be an issue of great concern to libraries of all types. The potential loss of such items threatens not only an institution's operations but, in many cases, global cultural heritage. Despite an increasingly open attitude among institutions regarding sharing information about lost items and suspected perpetrators, little scholarship has examined such thefts quantitatively in an effort to draw conclusions about how such incidents occur and how best to prevent them. This paper describes a project that examines data from over twenty years of reported library theft cases in libraries and special collections to determine how frequently such losses are perpetrated by library insiders.ver the past three decades, and the last several years in particular, research libraries and their allied special collections have seen a notable shift in attitudes and practices regarding thefts from their collections. Not only have institutions begun to acknowledge the threat of theft more actively, but greater resources have been dedicated to establishing and maintaining security procedures. The stigma associated with publicly acknowledging theft has also decreased; rather than reacting in embarrassment or with fear about the potential disapproval of donors or administrators, many institutions now respond to the unfortunate reality of theft with openness and transparency. This climate of disclosure frequently extends to the active pursuit of thieves, including the willingness among libraries to press charges or to publicize the loss in an effort to recover the stolen artifact.

Dataset Management as a Special Collection

“…For instance, any modification to a dataset of the frequency sounds of whales could give a completely different classification of whales or leave the dataset completely unusable (Shamir et al 2014). Creating policies and databases in the digital landscape for events similar to robberies would provide a clearer understanding of the most sensitive forms of datasets and their degree of vulnerability to digital attacks (Samuelson, Sare, and Coker 2012).…”

White Collar Crime In Museums

“…In a study of publicized thefts from US libraries, archives and museums it was found that one‐third of thefts were shown to be insider perpetrators where an offender had a position of trust and detailed knowledge of the premises where materials were stored (Samuelson et al. ).…”

“…In a study of theft Samuelson et al. () concluded that as security measures were increased insider theft also increased; museums and special collections showing increases in insider theft because of the restricted access to artifacts which makes it more difficult for outsiders to gain access in the first place. An important issue regarding the control of WCC within museums is that whilst museums spend considerable amounts of money on acquisitions, preservation and display of collections the actual protection of their assets is often woefully underfunded (Keller ).…”