Firestone security may be updated with renovations

When one former University student found herself in need of a non-circulating book from Firestone Library that was pivotal to her senior thesis, her decision was difficult but obvious: steal it.

The student, who asked to remain anonymous, hid the book in a back compartment of her backpack, revealed the front compartment of her bag to the Public Safety officer at the turnstiles of the library, and walked out the door, with Stephen Greenblatt’s “Renaissance Self-Fashioning” in hand.

The ease of such a maneuver casts doubt on whether Firestone Library, the holder of more than 7 million books and the flagship library of the University, is secure enough to prevent students from stealing books from right underneath Public Safety’s nose.

Feedback from those familiar with the library security system, from students who have successfully stolen books in the past and from students who frequently undergo the library’s bag searches points to a porous system vulnerable to the unauthorized removal of library material.

According to a source who has previously worked in the library but who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the topic, library officials have voiced worries over the library’s unsophisticated security system.

“People familiar with the inner workings of the library have shared their concern with the lack of physical security normally used to protect library materials,” he said. “These products include very basic ways and means of detecting stolen library materials similar to what you would find in a Blockbuster, a public library or any community college within 100 miles of Princeton.”

Rather than utilizing an electronic alarm system that would notify library staff of an unauthorized checkout, Firestone Library currently relies on a scan by a single Public Safety officer seated near the exit of the building. But according to the anonymous individual, implementing an advanced electronic system would be simple.

“All they have to do is put a big square tag on the back of the book with a door alarm,” he said.

However, University librarian Karin Trainer said in an email that, with the Firestone renovation project gradually unfolding, the library has taken steps to address these security flaws. After a two-year consultation with a specialized security consulting firm, she said, Firestone is planning to install a modern electronic detection system.

“I think it is fair to say that patrons and librarians alike have been urging improvements in Firestone’s security, including at the exit gate, for some time, which is why there has been such a focus on security in the renovation planning,” Trainer explained.

She added that some changes in the library’s security features have already taken place but said she could not comment on any specifics of the library’s security systems because “describing them would reduce their effectiveness.”

While Trainer explained that there is no “average price” for the library’s holdings and that the rarest books are kept in vaults, Firestone’s vast selection of holdings still contains a number of valuable items in circulation.

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The Daily Princetonian found several books in circulation that were listed on AbeBooks, a popular online market for rare and collectable books, ranging in price from several hundred dollars to over $1,000.

Several students who are regulars at Firestone echoed the assessment that there were holes in the library security system and said that, unless a detection system is installed, stealing a book will remain a relatively easy task.

Colleen McCullough ’12 explained that, while the bag check depends on the particular Public Safety officer, stealing a library book would not be particularly difficult.

“I don’t think that they ever look thoroughly enough that they would be able to find a library book that wasn’t really obvious,” she said.

Robert Jones ’12 echoed McCullough’s sentiment.

“I would say they definitely don’t check all the compartments — they usually just check the main one,” he explained. “I would say about half the time they just glance at it.”

The former student who successfully stole the book confirmed the ease of the theft in an interview with the ‘Prince’ on Wednesday.

“It was very straightforward … I didn’t take any extraordinary measures to avoid detection,” she said. Even if she had shown both compartments to the Public Safety officer, she added, the book “wouldn’t have been hard to conceal.”

Though she understood the risk of being caught, she explained that she was not concerned with any negative repercussions.

“I was worried about the ethical issue of stealing it ... rather than getting caught,” she said. “Even if I were caught, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal.”