Jul 8, 2007

City library system's security too lax

Editorial

Palo Alto officials are expected to come before voters in the future for a hefty bond to help upgrade the library system but, before they do, they must prove they can protect what they have now from thieves - a collection of more than 260,000 items spread throughout five branches.

A report from Sharon Erickson, the Palo Alto city auditor, shows that the city library system does not do enough to safeguard its collection of books, DVDs, CDs and other materials.

We don't want to make life any easier for petty criminals but city officials disclosed that the self-checkout machines and the security system for protecting library materials do not work as well with each other as they should.

City officials must fix this problem as soon as possible. One promising approach is a radio frequency identification system to manage materials. The cost isn't cheap - $1 million up front - but the technology has other advantages that will allow the library to operate more efficiently. The report also calls for scheduling staffing to have more working at nights and on weekends to deal with busy patron use. That could help dent the security problem as well, since busy library use creates more opportunities for theft.

The auditor also has found the library system needs to improve its means of accounting for lost and missing items. The library system is owed about $384,103 in fees and fines. Admittedly most of this is from small fines not worth chasing after - amounts of $1 or less - but about $133,000 is from people who owe $100 or more. That's taxpayer money and we'd like to see the library system develop a better means for recovering these larger debts, even if it entails sharing revenue with a collection agency. This too is a form of theft from the library and must be addressed.

As helpful as the auditor's report is, we may have to quibble with the auditor on one point. The auditor questioned the practice of allowing patrons at the Mitchell Park and Main branches to check out laptop computers on library grounds, calling it a high-risk program. The library has lost one laptop since it started a few years ago. This is far from an appalling rate of loss.

As long as the library can keep close tabs on the laptops, we see no need to disregard the policy. The laptops give patrons another option for using computers, particularly when the existing computer stations are all being used, which is often the case during busy periods.

Let's hope the city officials will carefully study Erickson's report and come up with better ways of protecting our library system's valuable materials.