Classic N10-4 WC blog 104
Library Security-4
Don’t Let Lax Library Security Lead To Lost Treasures – Invest In The Classic N10
As a library employee I can attest to the fact that people steal from libraries. I have seen people attempt to steal DVD’s, and “accidentally” start to walk out of the building with library books in backpacks. I have also had patrons start to walk out of the library, set off the RFID alarm antenna and hurry back into the library, then leave and NOT set off the alarm. Unfortunately, in those situations, we work in a large library so we can’t always follow where the person goes to dump the property that sets off the alarm. Now, imagine the problem of library security and protecting all library resources, including special collections. These are books often kept in controlled rooms. Simply having electronic article surveillance antennas at the front doors of the library may not be sufficient to prevent the theft of these books. The Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna at the entrance to the room can substantially reduce risk of theft of expensive and rare books.
Why would the Classic N10 antenna be a perfect choice for protecting special collection rooms? If these books are protected with electronic article surveillance tags, should someone conceal a book and attempt to leave the room the Classic N10 antenna will detect the items. Library staff would have the opportunity to respond to the alarm and recover the materials before the thief could get away. The antenna takes up little space so it can be comfortably placed in the doorway of a special collection room.
Do you doubt that theft from libraries is an issue? Don’t take my word for it, here are some examples of actual reported thefts:
– From wfmz.com, posted November 30, 2014, “Eleven books in a rare and valuable collection have been stolen from the Berks County Public Library System”.
– nydailynews.com, posted April 25, 2015, “The feds are investigating the theft of eight priceless books from the New York Public Library, including one written by Benjamin Franklin.”
– According to civilwarnews.com, “…hundreds of items including Civil War books and pamphlets, were discovered missing” from the Vermont Department of Libraries.
– ithacajournal.com, September 20, 2014, “Staff at Cornell University’s Kroch Library reported to police that 142 rare books were reportedly stolen”.
Rare, priceless, valuable, all descriptions used for books that may never be recovered for the public again. Certainly library security includes protecting items of lesser value, compact discs, magazines, paperback and hardback books. Public libraries often operate on very thin budgets and trying to replace stolen materials is burdensome. According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in a Fiscal Year 2012 State Libraries Administrative Agencies (SLAA) Survey, published in May, 2014, page 31, “In FY 2012, revenues to SLAAs totaled nearly $1 billion dollars across federal, state and other revenue sources, which represents a 27 percent decrease in revenue from FY 2003 and a 12 percent decrease from FY 2010.” According to the American Library Association (ALA) the total number of public central and branch library buildings in the U.S. was 16,536 in FY 2012. This number does not include school, academic, special, armed forces and government libraries.
Many of the services offered by libraries today include technology, such as computers and internet. Ebooks, Interlibrary loans, and maintaining social media and web pages also compete for the budgetary resources of libraries. New book purchases become difficult and replacement of stolen books becomes almost prohibitive. Protecting those resources already owned by a library is absolutely necessary, especially special collections. Library security is more important than ever to prevent the pilfering of materials.
If your library already uses electronic article surveillance as part of a comprehensive library security program, consider supplementing that security with a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna in special archive rooms. If EAS is not part of your strategy, consider the benefit an EAS antenna could provide for you.
For more information on the Classic N10, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
As a library employee I can attest to the fact that people steal from libraries. I have seen people attempt to steal DVD’s, and “accidentally” start to walk out of the building with library books in backpacks. I have also had patrons start to walk out of the library, set off the RFID alarm antenna and hurry back into the library, then leave and NOT set off the alarm. Unfortunately, in those situations, we work in a large library so we can’t always follow where the person goes to dump the property that sets off the alarm. Now, imagine the problem of library security and protecting all library resources, including special collections. These are books often kept in controlled rooms. Simply having electronic article surveillance antennas at the front doors of the library may not be sufficient to prevent the theft of these books. The Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna at the entrance to the room can substantially reduce risk of theft of expensive and rare books.
Why would the Classic N10 antenna be a perfect choice for protecting special collection rooms? If these books are protected with electronic article surveillance tags, should someone conceal a book and attempt to leave the room the Classic N10 antenna will detect the items. Library staff would have the opportunity to respond to the alarm and recover the materials before the thief could get away. The antenna takes up little space so it can be comfortably placed in the doorway of a special collection room.
Do you doubt that theft from libraries is an issue? Don’t take my word for it, here are some examples of actual reported thefts:
– From wfmz.com, posted November 30, 2014, “Eleven books in a rare and valuable collection have been stolen from the Berks County Public Library System”.
– nydailynews.com, posted April 25, 2015, “The feds are investigating the theft of eight priceless books from the New York Public Library, including one written by Benjamin Franklin.”
– According to civilwarnews.com, “…hundreds of items including Civil War books and pamphlets, were discovered missing” from the Vermont Department of Libraries.
– ithacajournal.com, September 20, 2014, “Staff at Cornell University’s Kroch Library reported to police that 142 rare books were reportedly stolen”.
Rare, priceless, valuable, all descriptions used for books that may never be recovered for the public again. Certainly library security includes protecting items of lesser value, compact discs, magazines, paperback and hardback books. Public libraries often operate on very thin budgets and trying to replace stolen materials is burdensome. According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in a Fiscal Year 2012 State Libraries Administrative Agencies (SLAA) Survey, published in May, 2014, page 31, “In FY 2012, revenues to SLAAs totaled nearly $1 billion dollars across federal, state and other revenue sources, which represents a 27 percent decrease in revenue from FY 2003 and a 12 percent decrease from FY 2010.” According to the American Library Association (ALA) the total number of public central and branch library buildings in the U.S. was 16,536 in FY 2012. This number does not include school, academic, special, armed forces and government libraries.
Many of the services offered by libraries today include technology, such as computers and internet. Ebooks, Interlibrary loans, and maintaining social media and web pages also compete for the budgetary resources of libraries. New book purchases become difficult and replacement of stolen books becomes almost prohibitive. Protecting those resources already owned by a library is absolutely necessary, especially special collections. Library security is more important than ever to prevent the pilfering of materials.
If your library already uses electronic article surveillance as part of a comprehensive library security program, consider supplementing that security with a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna in special archive rooms. If EAS is not part of your strategy, consider the benefit an EAS antenna could provide for you.
For more information on the Classic N10, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
N10 antenna -5
Library Security-3 WC blog 71
Library Special Collections Can Be Secure With The Classic N10 Antenna
In retail loss prevention, electronic article surveillance, EAS antennas, security tags, all involved product protection. I never really thought about those applications being useful in other sectors and I never would have thought about it in a library. In fact, had I been asked if I thought anyone would steal from a library I probably would have scratched my head and assumed that person was off their rocker. The ironic thing is that I have been working in an academic library at our local university for nearly five years. I have learned that YES, people do steal from libraries and YES, electronic article surveillance (EAS) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are in use in libraries. In case you are wondering what people might steal from a library, let’s see if I can help shed some light. People will steal compact discs, DVDs, magazines, newspapers and books. Why would someone steal from a library? The same reasons they would steal from anywhere else, they see something they want and they decide to take it. Since people do steal, some libraries have a special area of concern. There are libraries that have rooms dedicated to “special collections” and some libraries have genealogy rooms. The library I work in has a special collection room with rare books dedicated to the history of the local area, some going back pre-Civil War era. Libraries with these types of collections will not check out these books and in most cases handling of the books is monitored and copying is not permitted. These collections are not allowed to even leave the room due to how rare they are and in many cases how valuable they are, especially to a collector. Library security can be a difficult proposition in these cases, balancing the public’s desire to view the materials against the need to prevent damage and theft. I will also tell you that as many public libraries face tightening budgets, it can be difficult to find the funding to devote a staff member or librarian to just provide coverage for one room. This is where the Checkpoint N10 Antenna can come into play.
Often special collection rooms are not very big compared to other areas of a library. How convenient would it be if, instead of keeping these rooms locked and having to monitor the patrons by keeping a staff member tied to that one room, the doorway was protected with an EAS antenna? The Classic N10 antenna is a small, compact EAS antenna that was designed with small convenience stores in mind. It was found that convenience store owners desired a system to protect their merchandise, but standard EAS systems took up too much room. The N10 antenna was made to provide a high detection area like its bigger counterparts, but has a much smaller footprint. With tight budgets, library security may not be high on a priority list. But, how much more convenient would it be for a public library to be able to protect a special collection, such as a genealogy room, with an EAS antenna and not be required to dedicate a staff member to that one space. Should a patron attempt to walk out of the room with material protected with an EAS tag the Classic N10 antenna will alarm with sound and lights. Library staff could respond to the alarm and resolve the issue. To optimize personnel, a service point or reference desk can be located near the room to allow the staff member to render library assistance at the desk while also being close to the special collection and able to provide immediate response to an EAS alarm activation.
Library security is important. Many of the books and documents in special collection rooms are one of a kind and irreplaceable. It is possible to balance tight budgets and a small space with a secure environment if your library were to install the N10 antenna.
For more information on the N10 antenna, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In retail loss prevention, electronic article surveillance, EAS antennas, security tags, all involved product protection. I never really thought about those applications being useful in other sectors and I never would have thought about it in a library. In fact, had I been asked if I thought anyone would steal from a library I probably would have scratched my head and assumed that person was off their rocker. The ironic thing is that I have been working in an academic library at our local university for nearly five years. I have learned that YES, people do steal from libraries and YES, electronic article surveillance (EAS) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are in use in libraries. In case you are wondering what people might steal from a library, let’s see if I can help shed some light. People will steal compact discs, DVDs, magazines, newspapers and books. Why would someone steal from a library? The same reasons they would steal from anywhere else, they see something they want and they decide to take it. Since people do steal, some libraries have a special area of concern. There are libraries that have rooms dedicated to “special collections” and some libraries have genealogy rooms. The library I work in has a special collection room with rare books dedicated to the history of the local area, some going back pre-Civil War era. Libraries with these types of collections will not check out these books and in most cases handling of the books is monitored and copying is not permitted. These collections are not allowed to even leave the room due to how rare they are and in many cases how valuable they are, especially to a collector. Library security can be a difficult proposition in these cases, balancing the public’s desire to view the materials against the need to prevent damage and theft. I will also tell you that as many public libraries face tightening budgets, it can be difficult to find the funding to devote a staff member or librarian to just provide coverage for one room. This is where the Checkpoint N10 Antenna can come into play.
Often special collection rooms are not very big compared to other areas of a library. How convenient would it be if, instead of keeping these rooms locked and having to monitor the patrons by keeping a staff member tied to that one room, the doorway was protected with an EAS antenna? The Classic N10 antenna is a small, compact EAS antenna that was designed with small convenience stores in mind. It was found that convenience store owners desired a system to protect their merchandise, but standard EAS systems took up too much room. The N10 antenna was made to provide a high detection area like its bigger counterparts, but has a much smaller footprint. With tight budgets, library security may not be high on a priority list. But, how much more convenient would it be for a public library to be able to protect a special collection, such as a genealogy room, with an EAS antenna and not be required to dedicate a staff member to that one space. Should a patron attempt to walk out of the room with material protected with an EAS tag the Classic N10 antenna will alarm with sound and lights. Library staff could respond to the alarm and resolve the issue. To optimize personnel, a service point or reference desk can be located near the room to allow the staff member to render library assistance at the desk while also being close to the special collection and able to provide immediate response to an EAS alarm activation.
Library security is important. Many of the books and documents in special collection rooms are one of a kind and irreplaceable. It is possible to balance tight budgets and a small space with a secure environment if your library were to install the N10 antenna.
For more information on the N10 antenna, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Library Security-3 , N10 Antenna-3
Who Actually Steals Library Books?
There are many reasons people come up with to justify the theft of library books. Some will steal books simply for the challenge of the act. They just want to see if they can get away with it. That token of their theft is a constant reminder of their success and they feed off of it. Some people will steal books in protest. They feel they have been wronged by the government, or perhaps the university that runs the library and that is one way they can “get back at them.” Students may even steal books from their school’s collection due to academic pressure to keep their peers from getting the research information for an important assignment. Others may actually steal books for their own personal collections. Library security has become a serious issue and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be declining any time soon. There are valuable resources kept in libraries and even some out of print editions that people have actually tried to steal so they can sell them on an online auction site.
Seventy percent of all public libraries surveyed recently report theft as their biggest problem. That’s a big surprise considering all the usual talk about budget cuts. One of the newest issues regarding library security is specifically in the genealogy room. These are the books that are kept to record the births and deaths of the people in the county, property records, and much more about the people of the town. These books are priceless for family research. Many generations will come to look at them and use them to find out about their own bloodlines and possibly even medical history. Sadly, these books can also be used by identity thieves. Remember, these books hold a lot of valuable information, like names and birthdays, that could be very helpful in filling out bogus credit card applications.
Many major institutions have had to resort to adding security guards, limiting the building exits, and electronic devices. Security guards cost a lot of money over time, and many older buildings were built with multiple exits in case of fire. An investment in an electronic detection system can be a saving grace for a public library to protect its valuable inventory. One example of an excellent system is the Checkpoint N10 Antenna. This system is very similar to the classic Checkpoint pedestals you see in department stores and grocers. The N10 Antenna has the same detection capabilities as its larger retail counterparts, but it is smaller and more compact so it does not detract from the professional look and atmosphere of a library. This system provides the library security by monitoring the books coming and going. If the Checkpoint tag inside a book has not been deactivated at the checkout desk, the N10 Antenna will alert the staff if a patron attempts to go out the door. The addition of this system is not to deter people from using the library; it is just meant to deter dishonest people from removing resources that are meant to be available for everyone. From the genealogy room, with its priceless records, to even the simple first books for children, the library should be able to keep a clear inventory of its possessions, and the N10 Antenna system is a new option for them to consider.
For more information about Library Protection, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
There are many reasons people come up with to justify the theft of library books. Some will steal books simply for the challenge of the act. They just want to see if they can get away with it. That token of their theft is a constant reminder of their success and they feed off of it. Some people will steal books in protest. They feel they have been wronged by the government, or perhaps the university that runs the library and that is one way they can “get back at them.” Students may even steal books from their school’s collection due to academic pressure to keep their peers from getting the research information for an important assignment. Others may actually steal books for their own personal collections. Library security has become a serious issue and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be declining any time soon. There are valuable resources kept in libraries and even some out of print editions that people have actually tried to steal so they can sell them on an online auction site.
Seventy percent of all public libraries surveyed recently report theft as their biggest problem. That’s a big surprise considering all the usual talk about budget cuts. One of the newest issues regarding library security is specifically in the genealogy room. These are the books that are kept to record the births and deaths of the people in the county, property records, and much more about the people of the town. These books are priceless for family research. Many generations will come to look at them and use them to find out about their own bloodlines and possibly even medical history. Sadly, these books can also be used by identity thieves. Remember, these books hold a lot of valuable information, like names and birthdays, that could be very helpful in filling out bogus credit card applications.
Many major institutions have had to resort to adding security guards, limiting the building exits, and electronic devices. Security guards cost a lot of money over time, and many older buildings were built with multiple exits in case of fire. An investment in an electronic detection system can be a saving grace for a public library to protect its valuable inventory. One example of an excellent system is the Checkpoint N10 Antenna. This system is very similar to the classic Checkpoint pedestals you see in department stores and grocers. The N10 Antenna has the same detection capabilities as its larger retail counterparts, but it is smaller and more compact so it does not detract from the professional look and atmosphere of a library. This system provides the library security by monitoring the books coming and going. If the Checkpoint tag inside a book has not been deactivated at the checkout desk, the N10 Antenna will alert the staff if a patron attempts to go out the door. The addition of this system is not to deter people from using the library; it is just meant to deter dishonest people from removing resources that are meant to be available for everyone. From the genealogy room, with its priceless records, to even the simple first books for children, the library should be able to keep a clear inventory of its possessions, and the N10 Antenna system is a new option for them to consider.
For more information about Library Protection, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
