Keeping track of the more than 6 million volumes in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library is no easy task.
The only way the library staff knows if an item is lost or stolen is through student search requests.
"We like to think that faculty and students are honorable people so we don't spend as much time on security as we should," said Jeane Loup, assistant to the dean of University libraries.
Campus libraries experience theft or misplacement of books on a daily basis, leaving aggravated students searching for books that will never be found.
"It's very frustrating to spend time looking for a book and not find it," LSA senior Whitney Ricketts said. "It seems the book you need the most is never there. You never know if the book is stolen or just lost in the piles of unshelved books."
Linda TerHaar, senior associate librarian at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, said a crew comprised of a full-time member, a part-time member and student workers tries to stay ahead of the problem by restacking books four to five times each day.
Upon request, library staff search for those books that students can't locate on their own.
"Students make requests for a book and we try to locate it within 24 to 48 hours," said Undergraduate Library Supervisor Sheila Wilcox. "After that, we search three more times before the re-ordering process."
If the librarian's search is unsuccessful, the library then attempts to replace the book if it can. "Sometimes things aren't in print and re-ordering can be a long, arduous process," TerHaar said.
Funds for the replacement of lost or stolen books come from various sources, depending on the specific library. The School of Business Administration Library uses money from overdue fines and student payments for previously lost books.
Larger libraries, including the Graduate Library and the Undergraduate Library take money from the budget for libraries' materials. Money for the budget comes from the University General Fund.
"The amount varies from year to year," Loup said. "Deans provide the assessment."
The Graduate Library spent $2,000 last year on replacement materials.
Although most thefts typically involve one or two books, more severe robberies have occurred in recent years.
Last winter, a graduate student allegedly stole $15,000 worth of books from University libraries. Loup said that number "doesn't include the intrinsic value of the books." The student, who is facing trial on the charges, allegedly cut security strips out of the books and shaved off University library stamps around the edge of the books.