Undesirables

[everett <everett@CHS.ORG>]

Anent the recent discussions about banning book thieves from libraries, this
transcribed from the January, 1994, issue of American Libraries (pp. 15-16).

Dakota County, Minn., Judge Gerald Kalina imposed an unusual sentence Nov. 10,
on confessed book thief Gerald Lapre.  The judge ordered Lapre to not enter
any public library for the next two years.  After the two year ban expires,
Lapre may visit the library only under adult supervision.

Lapre, who was described by librarians even after his arrest as a "likable"
patron (AL, June 1993, p. 464-466), stole more than 30,000 books from Twin
Cities-area libraries over the course of a decade.  Weeks of sorting and
counting determined that Lapre possessed 30,248 books, tapes, and videos
valued at more than $250,000.

The judge's sentence also included four months of electronic home monitoring,
continued counseling sessions and medications prescribed for psychological
conditions, the payment of restitution as determined by the state's
Corrections Department, and 10 years' probation. ###

The same issue also includes (pp. 7 & 9) a story about a Chicago thief named
Kenneth Lanning, who specialized in stealing books on the Civil War, the
military, and art.  Most of these books will not be recovered, because Lanning
apparently sold most of them.

But the Lapre story does contain a germ of an idea to at least rid one's
library temporarily of convicted thieves--ask the judge to bar them.
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                     Everett C. Wilkie, Jr.
                Head Librarian and Crofut Curator
                   of Rare Books & Manuscripts
                The Connecticut Historical Society
                       1 Elizabeth Street
                     Hartford, CT 06105 USA
Email: everett@chs.org   Phone: 203-236-5621, x250   Fax: 203-236-2664
              Anytime, anywhere number: 0-700-EWILKIE
     "If you did not receive this fax... please call 213-236-2328"
                                              --ALA Housing Bureau
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