Library Book Theft and Audits in University Libraries of Pakistan

Librarians are the custodians of library materials. University libraries have a large number of materials in their collections; these collections have different challenges to maintain their existence and utilization. Security and protection of these resources is a difficult task. Book theft or loss is a phenomenon naturally associated with libraries and librarians. This article is an attempt to provide an overview of existing conditions of theft and loss of library material and to describe a major initiative that has been taken to overcome the situation. This study was designed with survey methodology and circulated to library professionals at 172 university and degree awarding institutions. There were 94 responses (54.65%) received. The study revealed that librarians faced objections from auditors and sometimes paid a penalty for stolen or lost books. The theft and loss of materials are examined critically by university management, library committees, and internal and external auditors. Some library professionals are required to pay from their own pockets for stolen and lost material. However, a few librarians write off library books as per Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) rule. Research highlighted that most libraries have not used technology such as RFID, 3M, or EM Tags for the security of books. An effective technological book security system minimizes loss and provides relief for librarians from audit issues and financial penalties.