Lisa Isenberg LIBR 180

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Lisa IsenbergLIBR 180

• Spring 2005

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DVD Theft and Prevention
Media Librarianship
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Probably one of the most popular forms of media
would be DVDs. Face it, theyre the newest form
of visual entertainment, loaded with lots of
additional extras that feeds the behind-the-scene
information frenzy!
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In our public library, DVDs used to be seldom
seen because of their popularity. Even movies
that may not draw a crowd would be checked out
just because theyre in DVD format.
However, there are also lurkers who will slip a
DVD from its case and casually hide it as they
walk out the door.
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Also, lets say the newest DVD has just been
released and we receive boxes of them which are
to be shelved for patrons to pick up as a hold.
But DVD thieves will loot through others holds
too in order to add to their own collection. The
library staff then have lots of unhappy patrons
who arrive to pick up the item that they ordered,
only to find them missing! (And lets face it,
DVDs are NOT cheap!)
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So, how do we solve this problem???
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Theft Prevention Ideas

• Put security devices on DVDs
• Buy special cases
• Avoid shelving in hard-to-watch areas
• Make copies of every video and DVD so originals
  are not released to the public

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Theft Prevention Ideas (cont.)

• Shelve the DVDs that are on hold in envelopes for
  patrons to pick up, so the actual content is
  hidden to the general public.
• Shelve DVD cases for
• the public to see, but store
• the actual DVD disks
• behind the checkout desk.
• Store the DVDs which are on hold behind the
  checkout desk.

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Unpractical ideas
For a budgeted public library whose goal is to
make decent looking and benefiting items
available to the community, it does not set a
high cost on conservation. Rather, it apportions
a utilization time and exchanges the overused
copy for a new one. So the question is How much
time do we want to spend preserving DVDs?
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Security Devices

• Attaching security devices to library items is
  actually a very good idea. This allows library
  staff more freedom so they do not have to guard
  the stacks as much.
• However, these devices also come with cost and
  perhaps library systems, especially smaller ones,
  do not have the budget to accommodate for that.
  So, one must evaluate whether the money is worth
  investing or if it is considered more necessary
  in another department.

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Avoid shelving DVDs in areas that are hard to
watch
Lurkers can hide in these stacks and take items
for themselves. I know of one library who
separated the music CDs and the DVDs from the
books and audio books items and shelved them in
plain sight of the reference desk so that
offenders might be easier to spot.
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Making copies of originalsBuying special cases

• Making copies of the originals would be so time
  consuming! Plus, worn out items are often thrown
  out which would mean working to get a replacement
  copy.
• Buying special cases again would depend on the
  budget of the library system and where their
  priorities lie.

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Put media items on hold in envelopes

• When prowlers are able to see what is sitting on
  the shelves, they are more likely to just take
  it. But if it is covered, they have no idea what
  is in the envelopes and it would enlarge the
  chances of their being caught if they actually
  took the time to remove the covering. Tyvek
  envelopes work really well.
• But putting all media items on hold into
  envelopes is very time consuming.

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Store DVDs behind desk

• Storing the actual DVDs behind the desk and
  leaving the case out for patron roaming is
  actually a well-liked idea in public libraries.
  With the cases still open to the public, patrons
  are aware of what is available for their use.

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Store DVDs on hold behind the desk

• The problem with this idea is that patrons still
  have to wait in line to pick up their media items
  which bypasses part of the purpose of
  self-checkout.
• However, it does keep more patrons happy because
  their media items are actually at the library
  after theyve requested it.

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Varied Libraries,
Varied
Answers

• Each library and library system
• is different. They are different
• sizes and they have different priorities. Even
• among systems, the libraries themselves may
• have differing procedures. One answer is not the
• same for everyone. Every decision is probably
• tailor-made to its varying circumstances.

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Bibliography

• Booksellers Association, Managing Theft 1 -
  Prevention http//www.booksellers.org.uk/industry/
  display_report.asp?id535
• OH Libraries were Hit by CD/DVD Thefts by Michael
  Rogers and Normon Oder. Library Journal, Vol.
  126, Iss. 1. Jan. 2001.

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Bibliography cont.

• The Problem of Library Theft by Sara Gurka,
  February 2004. http//www.ischool.utexas.edu/sgur
  ka/theft.html
• Transitioning to DVD by Susan Caron. Library
  Journal, May 15, 2004.
• RFID, Open Tracking Systems http//www.opentagsyst
  ems.com/Applications/Library.html
• Tyvek Envelopes, http//www.shopbrodart.com/shop/c
  b/product.aspx?pgid3819