Posted March 31, 2006.
British Library Enumerates Missing Items
The British Library in London has confirmed that only 28 valuable items have been stolen from its collection in the last five years. The stolen items have a total value of £100,000 ($174,700 U.S.), according to the March 28 Guardian. They range from rare maps and plates, such as one illustration removed from a 1522 book on Pompeii, to pop-culture artifacts such as a Manchester City soccer program from 1905 and 17 Rolling Stones albums.
The library also classifies 2,216 items as missing, mislaid, or incorrectly shelved—a tiny fraction of its collection of 150 million volumes.
The library has suffered notable thefts in the past, including being targeted by William Jacques, who stole more than 400 rare books from the British Library, Cambridge University, and London Library between 1994 and 1999.
Posted March 31, 2006.