One of the pricier books not returned to the library
Library thefts cost Austin more than $1 million in five years. (Austin American-Statesman, 2/16/2013)
Each month Austin Public Library patrons check out 500,000 books, movies, music CD, magazines, and other materials at 21 locations.
Not surprisingly, a very small percentage are not returned.
How many exactly?
Well, an American-Statesman/KVUE review determined that $1,100,000 in library inventory has not been returned during the past 5 years.
OK, so using the average dollar amount provided by the Library Value Calculator, let's be conservative and give each item checked out of all of Austin's library locations a value of $10.
The library's monthly value to Austin residents: $5,000,000.
The library's annual value to Austin residents: $60,000,000.
The library's value to Austin residents over a 5-year period: $300,000,000.
Uh, Tony, Andy, this story was done a year and a half ago by one of your colleagues at the Houston Chronicle.
Here's why I thought its perspective was hazy, at best.
Oh, by the way, some of your readers are not impressed either.
Really, $1 million over 5 years, and it merits a story chastising our library? That's an amazingly low inventory loss, especially when you consider the plight of so many of our downtown visitors. Target would reward that kind of loss prevention in its stores, the discount store leader in stopping shoplifting.
Buy hey, in 50 years, when the Don Martin book is returned to the library with a $100 bill tucked into it, your grandkids will be all over the story.
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