Tablet Theft-4 , CPN10-3 , Thunder Tag-3 , CP Systems-1
Theft In The Medical Office-It Could Be An Inside Job
I took my husband to a follow up appointment from his surgery recently because I was the primary person changing his dressings and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. When the nurse came in to change them, he asked if I had everything at home I needed to continue for the next couple of weeks. I told him I was running a little low, but I would check at a home health store for the stuff I needed. He walked out of the room for a moment and then came back in with a bag of supplies, including tweezers, bandage scissors, and bandage rolls. He told me to put the bag in my purse and to not tell the doctor he’d given it to me. I did as I was told, but I wondered later if I had done the right thing. Theft from doctor’s offices is actually a pretty common occurrence, mostly just rubber gloves and such, but it can get worse. Money comes up missing from the drawer where they keep patient’s cash payments. An electronic tablet or i-pad theft occurs after the office invests in new technologies. In many cases, it’s not just the patients and their families that the staff has to watch now; internal theft can be a major issue in the medical field too.
Let’s take the i-pad or tablet theft situation. With many doctor’s offices converting to electronic records and more advanced ways to share medical information, these expensive devices are showing up not just in the exam rooms, but in the waiting room as well. Patients use them to check in for their appointments and update their contact information as well. What happens when the patient takes it back to the exam room with them and suddenly it has disappeared? Obviously, everyone will point the finger at the patient themselves or a member of their family that came with them when the tablet theft is discovered. But what if they did give the tablet back as they will surely claim? What if the nurse or assistant simply hid the tablet until they can retrieve it to take home at the end of the day? The patient will be blamed and possibly banned from the practice and no one is the wiser.
We can’t control others motives for stealing, and it’s always harder to deal with when the case is internal. It can happen with a long term employee just as easily as with a new hire. The employee may be under extreme financial pressure, or have a gambling problem. They may have an addiction for luxury spending. They may rationalize an i-pad theft to help themselves since the doctor makes so much money and can afford a new one. Or, just like above, they could see an opportunity and decide to act on it. While you can’t control what motivates people to steal, you can control your surroundings and protect your assets with some new offerings by Checkpoint Systems.
Designed for small spaces and professional settings, the Checkpoint N10, combined with the Thunder Tag, is the way to protect those valuable electronics from external as well as internal theft. The Checkpoint N10 has the same capabilities as its counterparts used in department stores to monitor inventory. But it is smaller and sleeker and will not detract from the setting or atmosphere of a doctor’s office. The Thunder Tag is actually a device that is adhered to the tablet or i-pad and it is the catalyst that will alert staff via the Checkpoint N10 if a theft attempt occurs. If a patient or employee tampers with the Thunder Tag or tries to remove it, it will self-alarm as well. A doctor’s office can fail and go under financially just as easily as a retail establishment. The bills have to be paid and the office equipment that is bought must be maintained and accounted for.
Want more information on the Checkpoint N10 System now? Give us a call: 1.770.426.0547
I took my husband to a follow up appointment from his surgery recently because I was the primary person changing his dressings and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. hen the nurse came in to change them, he asked if I had everything at home I needed to continue for the next couple of weeks. I told him I was running a little low, but I would check at a home health store for the stuff I needed. He walked out of the room for a moment and then came back in with a bag of supplies, including tweezers, bandage scissors, and bandage rolls. He told me to put the bag in my purse and to not tell the doctor he’d given it to me. I did as I was told, but I wondered later if I had done the right thing. Theft from doctor’s offices is actually a pretty common occurrence, mostly just rubber gloves and such, but it can get worse. Money comes up missing from the drawer where they keep patient’s cash payments. An electronic tablet theft or i-pad theft occurs after the office invests in new technologies. In many cases, it’s not just the patients and their families that the staff has to watch now; internal theft can be a major issue in the medical field too.
Let’s take the i-pad or tablet theft situation. With many doctor’s offices converting to electronic records and more advanced ways to share medical information, these expensive devices are showing up not just in the exam rooms, but in the waiting room as well. Patients use them to check in for their appointments and update their contact information as well. What happens when the patient takes it back to the exam room with them and suddenly it has disappeared? Obviously, everyone will point the finger at the patient themselves or a member of their family that came with them when the tablet theft is discovered. But what if they did give the tablet back as they will surely claim? What if the nurse or assistant simply hid the tablet until they can retrieve it to take home at the end of the day? The patient will be blamed and possibly banned from the practice and no one is the wiser.
We can’t control others motives for stealing, and it’s always harder to deal with when the case is internal. It can happen with a long term employee just as easily as with a new hire. The employee may be under extreme financial pressure, or have a gambling problem. They may have an addiction for luxury spending. They may rationalize an i-pad theft to help themselves since the doctor makes so much money and can afford a new one. Or, just like above, they could see an opportunity and decide to act on it. While you can’t control what motivates people to steal, you can control your surroundings and protect your assets with some new offerings by Checkpoint Systems.
Designed for small spaces and professional settings, the Checkpoint N10, combined with the Thunder Tag, is the way to protect those valuable electronics from external as well as internal theft. The Checkpoint N10 has the same capabilities as its counterparts used in department stores to monitor inventory. But it is smaller and sleeker and will not detract from the setting or atmosphere of a doctor’s office.The Thunder Tag is actually a device that is adhered to the tablet theft or i-pad and it is the catalyst that will alert staff via the Checkpoint N10 if a theft attempt occurs. If a patient or employee tampers with the Thunder Tag or tries to remove it, it will self-alarm as well. A doctor’s office can fail and go under financially just as easily as a retail establishment. The bills have to be paid and the office equipment that is bought must be maintained and accounted for.
Want more information on the Checkpoint N10 System now? Give us a call: 1.770.426.0547
Alpha Thunder Tag-3 WC blog 124
Tablet Theft-3
i-pad Theft-3
Classic N10-3
Mobile Medical Devices Make Electronic Health Record Security Risky – Protect Tablets And I-Pads With Alpha Thunder Tags
According to the website HealthIT.gov, “ if medicare eligible providers, or EP’s, do not adopt and successfully demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) by 2015, the EP’s medicare physician fee schedule amount for covered professional services will be adjusted down by 1% each year.” What this means is that the government is attempting to steer healthcare providers away from paper documentation to electronic documentation. While there are benefits to maintaining patient records in electronic form such as record sharing with patients, the ability for doctors to collaborate, viewing of scans, a host of medical apps and other resources, there are also pitfalls. Many physicians are using mobile medical devices to improve service and comply with the new electronic health record requirements. What happens in the event of a medical tablet theft or medical i-pad theft? What patient information might be compromised? The Alpha Thunder Tag can protect these devices from theft.
It is likely that you are wondering what the Alpha Thunder Tag is and how it can protect a mobile device. The tag is a small anti-theft device that is attached to a tablet or i-pad with an adhesive. The tag is equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology so if a tagged item is carried in range of an EAS antenna the antenna alarm emits a loud, annoying beep. It is also tamper protected and will alarm in the event a thief attempts to remove the tag. I do want to emphasize that the EAS capability is only useful if a medical facility will take the time to install EAS antennas at ALL points of entry. Without investing in EAS antennas, the tags will only be a visual deterrent to theft, assuming the potential thieves are bothered by the attachment on the item they want to steal.
Since I referenced the necessity for an EAS antenna system as a requirement for effectively protecting your practice from tablet theft and i-pad theft, I would like to digress for a moment and discuss this part of a system. EAS antennas come in various sizes, but if someone is concerned about the space a set would take up, rest assured it does not have to be a problem. The Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna is a compact unit that provides all the protection of a larger unit you see in a retail store. The difference is that the Classic N10 was designed for small retail stores that could not spare the room for a large system. Carrying this idea to a medical office or clinic only makes sense since you have to have room for transport devices such as wheelchairs or crutches, possibly even gurneys, to enter and exit your facility.
At this point you may still doubt the need to secure your mobile devices because, what is someone going to be able to do even if they get their hands on a tablet or i-pad? Well, according to the healthcare web site, hitconsultant.net in a November 4, 2014 article, “68% of all healthcare data breaches since 2010 are due to device theft or loss, according to the 2014 Healthcare Breach Report from Bitglass.” Why would anyone want to access patient healthcare data? Because the information can include everything a medical provider has on file for a patient, billing information, addresses, payment information, insurance policy numbers and even prescription information. The data has value on the black market and can be sold or it is used to create false insurance claims, obtain illegal prescriptions and identity theft.
Medical tablet theft and i-pad theft is not an issue to be taken lightly. Should your practice lose a device and a data breach were to occur, there can be significant fines and penalties assessed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Investing in Alpha Thunder Tags and a Classic N10 antenna system can provide the security you need to protect your mobile devices and your patient’s information.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
According to the website HealthIT.gov, “ if medicare eligible providers, or EP’s, do not adopt and successfully demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) by 2015, the EP’s medicare physician fee schedule amount for covered professional services will be adjusted down by 1% each year.” What this means is that the government is attempting to steer healthcare providers away from paper documentation to electronic documentation. While there are benefits to maintaining patient records in electronic form such as record sharing with patients, the ability for doctors to collaborate, viewing of scans, a host of medical apps and other resources, there are also pitfalls. Many physicians are using mobile medical devices to improve service and comply with the new electronic health record requirements. What happens in the event of a medical tablet theft or medical i-pad theft? What patient information might be compromised? The Alpha Thunder Tag can protect these devices from theft.
It is likely that you are wondering what the Alpha Thunder Tag is and how it can protect a mobile device. The tag is a small anti-theft device that is attached to a tablet or i-pad with an adhesive. The tag is equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology so if a tagged item is carried in range of an EAS antenna the antenna alarm emits a loud, annoying beep. It is also tamper protected and will alarm in the event a thief attempts to remove the tag. I do want to emphasize that the EAS capability is only useful if a medical facility will take the time to install EAS antennas at ALL points of entry. Without investing in EAS antennas, the tags will only be a visual deterrent to theft, assuming the potential thieves are bothered by the attachment on the item they want to steal.
Since I referenced the necessity for an EAS antenna system as a requirement for effectively protecting your practice from tablet theft and i-pad theft, I would like to digress for a moment and discuss this part of a system. EAS antennas come in various sizes, but if someone is concerned about the space a set would take up, rest assured it does not have to be a problem. The Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna is a compact unit that provides all the protection of a larger unit you see in a retail store. The difference is that the Classic N10 was designed for small retail stores that could not spare the room for a large system. Carrying this idea to a medical office or clinic only makes sense since you have to have room for transport devices such as wheelchairs or crutches, possibly even gurneys, to enter and exit your facility.
At this point you may still doubt the need to secure your mobile devices because, what is someone going to be able to do even if they get their hands on a tablet or i-pad? Well, according to the healthcare web site, hitconsultant.net in a November 4, 2014 article, “68% of all healthcare data breaches since 2010 are due to device theft or loss, according to the 2014 Healthcare Breach Report from Bitglass.” Why would anyone want to access patient healthcare data? Because the information can include everything a medical provider has on file for a patient, billing information, addresses, payment information, insurance policy numbers and even prescription information. The data has value on the black market and can be sold or it is used to create false insurance claims, obtain illegal prescriptions and identity theft.
Medical tablet theft and i-pad theft is not an issue to be taken lightly. Should your practice lose a device and a data breach were to occur, there can be significant fines and penalties assessed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Investing in Alpha Thunder Tags and a Classic N10 antenna system can provide the security you need to protect your mobile devices and your patient’s information.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Security Systems -5 WC blog 98
Checkpoint tags – 4
Retail Theft Prevention – 3
Preventing Theft With Checkpoint Systems Part 1
As a store owner or a person in charge of managing a retail store(s), do you find yourself spending a significant amount of time trying to determine where merchandise losses are coming from? Have you examined how much of your time is being spent trying to address shortage rather than being able to focus on the other areas of your business where you could enhance sales? What if you could work smarter, not harder and drive down shortage AND put your energy into other aspects of your business? I would like to recommend that investing in a Checkpoint security system can do all this and more.
A Checkpoint security system in a nutshell is a combination of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas positioned at store access points, Checkpoint tags that are attached to merchandise, testing equipment, deactivation and detachment devices. Data analytics can also be integrated to provide you with customer traffic information, alarm activations, and alarm response times. A retail theft prevention program built around a Checkpoint security system will make a significant and immediate impact in reducing store stock shortage.
This may seem like a lot of information so I would like to take time to discuss some of the important points on each part of the system. While the company can explain all the features and benefits of each component, there are some highlights I will point out, starting with the EAS antennas. There are a number of styles to choose from, larger antennas have the ability to have advertising panels added to them that can be interchanged. Some models have the ability to read RFID tags and EAS Checkpoint tags which permit an easy transition if you were to opt for a change in the future. For stores with small entrances or where you may not have a lot of sales floor space and you can’t afford to lose any square footage, there is a small profile antenna offered called the Classic N10. Whatever you may determine your needs are while consulting with Checkpoint staff, there is an antenna that will suit your business needs.
In addition to the benefits of the styles and designs offered with the selection of antennas, there is a functional aspect to how they impact retail theft prevention. There is deterrence value to having antennas installed at entrances and exits. When a potential shoplifter or even an employee sees the antennas they know that there is merchandise in the store that is protected with Checkpoint tags or EAS labels. There is always a chance that a person entering your store with the intent of stealing may very well choose to leave and find another retailer without EAS protection. The other practical function is that when a piece of merchandise that is protected with Checkpoints tags or labels is brought within range of the antennas, a loud, audible alarm is activated in the antenna, as are flashing LED lights. Employees are alerted and respond to determine a cause for the alarm and recover merchandise someone may be attempting to steal or forgot to pay for, such as an item that was on the bottom of a shopping cart.
Finally, as you are investigating the benefits of Checkpoint security systems, don’t forget to consider protecting all of the store entry points. It is easy to think only of the potential for shoplifters to steal, but you should be aware that roughly half of all retail shortage is due to employee theft according to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report. Back doors or employee entrances are vulnerable points, often overlooked when EAS antennas are installed. Dishonest employees or vendors can use these access points to spirit away merchandise protected with Checkpoint tags and no alarm will be activated.
Start building a retail theft prevention program around the right Checkpoint security system, starting with the EAS antennas. With the proper tools in place, you will begin to see merchandise theft decrease sharply and profits increase. When that happens you can focus on other areas to improve sales!
For more information on Checkpoint security systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
As a store owner or a person in charge of managing a retail store(s), do you find yourself spending a significant amount of time trying to determine where merchandise losses are coming from? Have you examined how much of your time is being spent trying to address shortage rather than being able to focus on the other areas of your business where you could enhance sales? What if you could work smarter, not harder and drive down shortage AND put your energy into other aspects of your business? I would like to recommend that investing in a Checkpoint security system can do all this and more.
A Checkpoint security system in a nutshell is a combination of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas positioned at store access points, Checkpoint tags that are attached to merchandise, testing equipment, deactivation and detachment devices. Data analytics can also be integrated to provide you with customer traffic information, alarm activations, and alarm response times. A retail theft prevention program built around a Checkpoint security system will make a significant and immediate impact in reducing store stock shortage.
This may seem like a lot of information so I would like to take time to discuss some of the important points on each part of the system. While the company can explain all the features and benefits of each component, there are some highlights I will point out, starting with the EAS antennas. There are a number of styles to choose from, larger antennas have the ability to have advertising panels added to them that can be interchanged. Some models have the ability to read RFID tags and EAS Checkpoint tags which permit an easy transition if you were to opt for a change in the future. For stores with small entrances or where you may not have a lot of sales floor space and you can’t afford to lose any square footage, there is a small profile antenna offered called the Classic N10. Whatever you may determine your needs are while consulting with Checkpoint staff, there is an antenna that will suit your business needs.
In addition to the benefits of the styles and designs offered with the selection of antennas, there is a functional aspect to how they impact retail theft prevention. There is deterrence value to having antennas installed at entrances and exits. When a potential shoplifter or even an employee sees the antennas they know that there is merchandise in the store that is protected with Checkpoint tags or EAS labels. There is always a chance that a person entering your store with the intent of stealing may very well choose to leave and find another retailer without EAS protection. The other practical function is that when a piece of merchandise that is protected with Checkpoints tags or labels is brought within range of the antennas, a loud, audible alarm is activated in the antenna, as are flashing LED lights. Employees are alerted and respond to determine a cause for the alarm and recover merchandise someone may be attempting to steal or forgot to pay for, such as an item that was on the bottom of a shopping cart.
Finally, as you are investigating the benefits of Checkpoint security systems, don’t forget to consider protecting all of the store entry points. It is easy to think only of the potential for shoplifters to steal, but you should be aware that roughly half of all retail shortage is due to employee theft according to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report. Back doors or employee entrances are vulnerable points, often overlooked when EAS antennas are installed. Dishonest employees or vendors can use these access points to spirit away merchandise protected with Checkpoint tags and no alarm will be activated.
Start building a retail theft prevention program around the right Checkpoint security system, starting with the EAS antennas. With the proper tools in place, you will begin to see merchandise theft decrease sharply and profits increase. When that happens you can focus on other areas to improve sales!
For more information on Checkpoint security systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
CPN10-3 , Thunder Tag-4 , Tablet Theft-3
Checkpoint Systems In The Medical Field
Many doctor’s offices are converting to all digital records keeping systems. This allows them to use less physical space for those bulky file cabinets or records boxes. It also allows offices the ability to share information more easily and freely. Imagine the convenience of simply emailing patient history or lab results directly to another provider, instead of having to retrieve them and fax or even mail them. Many offices are now even converting their check-in process to a digital format and providing the patient with a tablet or I-pad to enter or update their information. Unfortunately there always seems to be a downside to any process evolution, and this is no exception. Office staff was already responsible for the security and maintenance of paper records; a tablet theft could result in the loss of hundreds or thousands of patients’ records.
You’ve heard of financial identity fraud, but medical identity fraud can be just as devastating. It’s hard enough for someone to deal with the bank if their credit card information is stolen and they discover unauthorized charges. Medical information is just as valuable. Health insurance is a new commodity that hackers can sell. It is a new lucrative market and the money that can be made from one tablet theft from a medical office is astounding. A local news station just covered a story last week that was a prime example of what can happen when this type of information gets in the wrong hands. A woman got a hospital bill in the mail for her husband. There was also a whopping charge for an MRI, which her insurance did not cover. The big problem: her husband had not been hospitalized. Someone had stolen his medical records and made a fake health insurance and identity cards. Then they went and had some outpatient surgery, among other procedures, and now this poor woman gets the bill. When the investigation is completed, I would hate to be the medical office manager that gets the blame for this breach. Heads will roll.
Instances like this will get more common as the switch to digital occurs, because a tablet theft from a doctor’s office can have such far reaching repercussions. There is a solution to protect these valuable devices though. Two tools, the Checkpoint N10 system and the Alpha Thunder Tag, are the tag team duo that can save the day. The thunder tag is simply attached to the device that needs to be protected. If someone attempts to remove or tamper with the tag, it will self-alarm and alert your staff. If a patient accidentally attempts to take the tablet beyond the established perimeter, the thunder tag will also set off an alarm. That is where the N10 system plays its part. This is a sleek, space-saving system that attaches to the door frame. It has the same detection capability of its larger counterparts that you see at the entrance of many department stores. This same system that protects a store’s merchandise from shoplifters can protect any medical devices at a doctor’s office or hospital.
Keeping the patient’s medical information secure is paramount. When considering the cost of the digital conversion and the fines and sanctions the office would face if a loss occurs, the answer is clear. An investment in the Checkpoint N10 system and Alpha Thunder tags is well worth the peace of mind knowing your equipment is secure.
For more information on the Checkpoint N10 System and Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
Many doctor’s offices are converting to all digital records keeping systems. This allows them to use less physical space for those bulky file cabinets or records boxes. It also allows offices the ability to share information more easily and freely. Imagine the convenience of simply emailing patient history or lab results directly to another provider, instead of having to retrieve them and fax or even mail them. Many offices are now even converting their check-in process to a digital format and providing the patient with a tablet or I-pad to enter or update their information. Unfortunately there always seems to be a downside to any process evolution, and this is no exception. Office staff was already responsible for the security and maintenance of paper records; a tablet theft could result in the loss of hundreds or thousands of patients’ records.
You’ve heard of financial identity fraud, but medical identity fraud can be just as devastating. It’s hard enough for someone to deal with the bank if their credit card information is stolen and they discover unauthorized charges. Medical information is just as valuable. Health insurance is a new commodity that hackers can sell. It is a new lucrative market and the money that can be made from one tablet theft from a medical office is astounding. A local news station just covered a story last week that was a prime example of what can happen when this type of information gets in the wrong hands. A woman got a hospital bill in the mail for her husband. There was also a whopping charge for an MRI, which her insurance did not cover. The big problem: her husband had not been hospitalized. Someone had stolen his medical records and made a fake health insurance and identity cards. Then they went and had some outpatient surgery, among other procedures, and now this poor woman gets the bill. When the investigation is completed, I would hate to be the medical office manager that gets the blame for this breach. Heads will roll.
Instances like this will get more common as the switch to digital occurs, because a tablet theft from a doctor’s office can have such far reaching repercussions. There is a solution to protect these valuable devices though. Two tools, the Checkpoint N10 system and the Alpha Thunder Tag, are the tag team duo that can save the day. The thunder tag is simply attached to the device that needs to be protected. If someone attempts to remove or tamper with the tag, it will self-alarm and alert your staff. If a patient accidentally attempts to take the tablet beyond the established perimeter, the thunder tag will also set off an alarm. That is where the N10 system plays its part. This is a sleek, space-saving system that attaches to the door frame. It has the same detection capability of its larger counterparts that you see at the entrance of many department stores. This same system that protects a store’s merchandise from shoplifters can protect any medical devices at a doctor’s office or hospital.
Keeping the patient’s medical information secure is paramount. When considering the cost of the digital conversion and the fines and sanctions the office would face if a loss occurs, the answer is clear. An investment in the Checkpoint N10 system and Alpha Thunder tags is well worth the peace of mind knowing your equipment is secure.
For more information on the Checkpoint N10 System and Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
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
