Don't Get Biblio-Burgled

Your textbooks may be worth more than you think.

Students begin to "lose" books at the end of a semester, when the bookstore knows what books they will need for the next semester, and raises their buy back price.

"Usually once or twice per semester, we find someone trying to sell a book that does not belong to them," says Sarah Bengston, Assistant Manager of the school`s bookstore.

According to George Hacking, director of LSC`s Public Safety, a few students have already reported that they have lost their textbooks. Since textbooks are valuable property, when you sell them back, you can earn up to half of how much you paid for them.

"If my book got stolen, I would think of the person who stole it as really poorly educated," says Ezio Zhou, student of meteorology. "But I would also blame myself for being too careless."

Those people who choose to take the risk and sell other people`s books could face penalties from both the school and legal system.

"There are charges from the school that would be brought against individuals who sell books that do not belong to them," says Hacking. "They can be charged in a criminal court with possession and selling of stolen property."

According to Hacking, the bookstore is doing a great job keeping track of who bought the book, and who sold it. "People who come to sell books have to show us their photo IDs," says Bengston. "If we found that they were not the ones who bought the books, we would report it to Public Safety directly."

Students do not have to become victims of this crime; Bengston offers tips for prevention:

Tip 1: Do not leave your books or bag at the entry of the dining hall.

"Students tend to believe that other people are honest, but sometimes people just aren`t," says Bengston.

Tip 2: Make marks in the book.

For example, draw a star at page 14. "Students don`t want to make marks in the book, because they think it might affect the value of the book," says Bengston. "However, as long as the book is still usable, marks won`t affect its value."

Tip 3: Report to both the bookstore and Public Safety with the information of your book, which should include the name of the book, and any mark you have made in the book. Also provide your personal information and contact information.

"The most successful cases we have had were the ones that people have marked inside the book," says Hacking. "It could show that the book was exactly that person`s book."

Not letting your book out of your sight is always the best way to prevent the stealing.