BOOK THIEVES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 3

BOOK THIEVES.

SYDNEY LIBRARY'S LOSSES. THE YEARLY TOLL. \FROH 0"B CORKESPOSCIST.) SYDNEY, November 3. Oue regrets 10 have to record the sad fact, but it is nevertheless true that Sydney's book thieves, who appear to bo no less active than thieves in the ordinary walks of crime, include people with a penchant for religious literature. It is remarkable how people abuse privileges which they ought to preserve most jealously. For the mere signing ot a card, the world u best books, in every domain of literature, are available, day and night, to the people ot Sydney, at the Municipal Library, They can change them as often as they like, and can even reserve books which particularly take their fancy. It costs them nothing, yet the books which have been missing, to put it politely, from the library the last two years involve a loss of more than £IOOO. One device is to compel people who carry bags or other handy receptacles into the library to leave them at the counter, to be returned when they have chosen their books, but the thieving goes on. Close on fifty religious books are among the missing the last two years. Of the missing books last year, fiction headed the list with the total of 836, which, however, eliows a decrease of more than 300 compared with the previous year. That may bo either a tribute to the improved morals of a section of the people, or a reflection upon the_ latest output of fiction writers. The youngsters have a fine library all to themselves. That shows a shortage of 23G books, which is one more than in the previous year. But Straight have been worse.'since the books issued from the library during the year totalled no fewer than 437,0-54. City aldermen cannot understand sometimes why the Council is burdened with the upkeep of an institution winch is patronised almost whollv by people who live in and swear allegiance to other municipalities. Perhaps the new Civic Commission when it gets to work with the broom at the Town Hall will look into this aspect of thp lihrarv especially when, so- many people forget to return books which cost them nothing.