RBMS Security Committee: Theft Reports 2010
This is a list of incidents reported in the public media and on open listservs, such as Exlibris. The "Incidents of Theft" list was begun in 1987 and is updated by a member of the RBMS Security Committee. Although known to be incomplete, the list does provide an indication of the extent and variety of reported and alleged thefts. For reports in the Exlibris electronic discussion list since April 1991, consult the list archives.
The following list contains notices of thefts that occurred or were reported in 2010. For additional coverage or for information on how to report notices for possible inclusion on the list, please consult the cumulative index.
2010
June 2010
UPDATE: Raymond Scott faces a long jail term for trying to make £1m by selling a stolen copy of the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays. Scott was cleared of the actual theft, but convicted of handling stolen goods and smuggling the 387-year-old book to the US. Scott was arrested two years ago after taking the folio to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC and giving experts there a complex and fantastic account of acting for a Cuban commando officer whose mother had kept “the old English book” in a chest a her home in Havana for years…. suspicions raised, the FBI was called in and liaised with police in Britain. The book was identified as the copy stolen from Durham Cathedral library in 1998.
Source: Article, Martin Wainwright, "Raymond Scott guilty of handling stolen folio of Shakespeare’s plays", http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/09/raymond-scott-stolen-shakespeare-first-folio, July 9, 2010
UPDATE: William Jacques, a Cambridge graduate who stole more than £31m worth of rare books during his career as a professional book thief was found guilty June 22, 2010, of stealing £340,000 worth of books from the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley library in London. He used a false name to sign in to the Library in London before hiding valuable books under his tweed jacket. The Cambridge graduate began selling stolen books at auction houses in the late 90s, stealing some 500 rare antiquarian books and pamphlets from the British Library, Cambridge University Library and the London Library. He was jailed for four years in May 2002 for 21 counts of theft. He now faces a similar time in jail after his most recent offences.
Source: Exlibris electronic mailing list, posted June 22, 2010.
March 2010
Mr. William John Scott, a freshman at Drew University, pilfered letters while working part time at the university archives. He sold some of them for thousands of dollars, and left others sitting in a dresser drawer, where FBI agents found them after executing a search warrant of his dorm room. Mr. Scott was arrested on Sunday, March 14….The judge authorized an unsecured $50,000 bond, on the condition that he surrender his passport and agree to be supervised by pretrial services while remaining in the custody of his parents, who live in Longmeadow, Mass.
Source: Article, Alison Leigh Cowan, “Drew Student Is Accused of Stealing and Selling Valuable Historic Letters,” New York Times, March 16, 2010
The Israel Police is asking for the public's help in tracking down ancient and valuable Jewish manuscripts that were stolen from Tel Aviv's Beit Ariela library two weeks ago. Among the items stolen were documents hand-written by Maimondes. Anyone who has any information on the theft or the whereabouts of the items is asked to contact police immediately.
Source: Museum Security Network, museum_security_network@googlegroups.com, posted March 1, 2010
February 2010
Thieves stole eight titles from a locked glass cabinet from Northwich Library. The books, which police say are valuable, include Anglorum Speculum the Worthies of England in Church and State; Howson and Rimmer, Chester As It Was; Britton's Cheshire; Britton Bishop Hanley, Birds of Alderely (1914); Cheshire Extract from unidentified work; Hanshall History of County Palatine (1817); Holland General View of the Agriculture of Cheshire and Irvine—History of Winnington Hall.
"The books were free for people to come in and have a look—you don't have to be a member.
"Anyone interested in local history collections could look and we would take the books out of the glass cases for people to look at."
Sandra said the cases, kept in the Colin Lynch room at the library, had been broken into deliberately.
The books were taken between February 2 and 9.
Anyone with any information should ring police on 0845 458 0000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
Source: Museum Security Network, posted February 19, 2010
A letter from Frederick Douglass to Gerrit Smith (the reformer and philanthropist) written during the Civil War was stolen from the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University Library (probably during the early 1990s) but through the good offices of a local dealer was recently seized and returned to us. We strongly recommend that institutions possessing Frederick Douglass material review such collections. This warning is particularly directed at repositories in New York State.
Source: Notification to the LSO electronic mailing list, posted February 12, 2010