To: ARLIS Libraries: FOR
YOUR INTERNAL INFORMATION
From:
Date: December 21, 2005
Re: Attempted theft at Bowdoin Library
We are writing to advise you about an incident at the
Bowdoin Library involving a patron who may have been attempting to steal library
materials. On Monday, we noticed a patron in the stacks
acting suspiciously, and simultaneously found a pile of library materials
hidden behind shelved books in the stacks nearby. The
materials were primarily old maps that had been torn out of turn-of-the-century
government documents, depicting National Parks and other American territories. We immediately called our Director of Security, Randy
Nichols, who came to the Library and talked to the man. After
the man hurriedly left the Library, Randy contacted the Brunswick Police
who stopped the man for questioning. The man had no
library materials on his person, but his actions and attitude convinced Randy
that he was responsible for tearing out the maps and probably planned to
remove the items he had stashed away. He has now been
issued a trespass warning and will not be permitted on the Bowdoin campus.
The man’s name is Laurent A. Beaucage of
For a couple of weeks we had been finding torn-up pieces
of old text pages in wastebaskets in different areas of our basement stacks,
so we suspected something strange was going on. Yesterday
we found the empty cardboard covers of some of these texts, mixed in with
the torn-out maps. We suspect that the man might have
been inserting stolen maps in the cardboard covers to conceal them. These old items would not have set off our security alarm.
If you feel nervous about the actions of a patron, or see mysterious torn-up materials in wastebaskets, trust your instincts! Our valuable collections are unfortunately vulnerable to mutilation and theft by people who can make money selling the materials through antique stores, flea markets, etc.
