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Library
addresses Patrons have either stolen the items, or borrowed and then not returned them, said Betty Malcolm, circulation services supervisor for the library district and the author of the letter. “The simple act of not returning borrowed materials constitutes theft of library items.” Malcolm said she’s heard back from only one business, Steve’s Jewelry in Flatwoods, which had about 10 of the library’s DVDs on its shelves. The store returned the DVDs and also donated about 100 more to the library, Malcolm said. The library does not sell audio/visual materials after they are removed from the collection, Malcolm explained, so there is no legal reason that they should appear at a pawn shop. All A/V materials are destroyed beyond use and put in the trash. With her letter, Malcolm included photocopies of the library’s identification methods, which includes labels, barcodes and security tags on the cases and the letters BCPL written on the discs themselves. “I would appreciate
any help in getting these materials returned, and any insight or
input you might offer on this matter,” Malcolm wrote to the
pawn shop owners. “Together we can come up with a solution
to stop this practice that is costing the Boyd County taxpayers.”
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The
library is asking local pawn shop owners to help keep stolen library
items from ending up in their stores. The library mailed letters
earlier this month to about two dozen pawn shops in the Tri-State,
after receiving reports that library materials, including DVDs,
video cassettes, music CDs and video games, had been discovered
in area pawn shops.