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flame illustration   SPECIFIC EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
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VANDALISM OR THEFT

The variety of vandalism and theft is wide and can range from unintentional damage and defacement of materials (such as writing in books) to malicious or quite severe destruction (such as the tearing of pages from books) and outright theft.

The presence of an electronic security system in the Library acts as a deterrent to book theft; however, it should also be remembered that this is not a fail-safe system. Security strips can be removed from books, and other Library materials (such as books housed in the Special Collections Room and non-book materials) do not receive any security stripping.

In general, when the security system alarm is activated, or when minor damage is being done to Library materials, the user should be given the benefit of the doubt, and it should be presumed that their actions are unintentional until proven otherwise. 

If a Library user is observed causing minor damage to material:

box bullet The person should be asked to stop, preferably by the Librarian in charge.

box bullet If the perpetrator is a Law College student, and depending upon the nature of the damage caused, the individual may be reported to Law College administration for disciplinary action.
 
In case of severe or malicious damage being done to Library materials, or outright theft:

box bullet Notify the Librarian in charge of the vandalism or theft.

box bullet Call the emergency number 911 to notify Campus Police of the problem.

box bullet If possible, observe the perpetrator without being detected, but DO NOT confront the person. Try to remember all the details of the incident, including a description of the person.

box bullet If the perpetrator attempts to leave the Library before the Police arrive, DO NOT attempt to detain the person.

box bullet When Police arrive, provide them with all the details of the incident and allow them to take control of the situation.

box bullet If none of its members are present when the incident occurs, notify the Disaster Action Team.

Theft of University property other than books and theft of personal property is also a very real threat. To combat this, valuables should always be secured and never left in the open or unattended. When leaving personal offices, even for short periods, doors should be closed and locked. Procedures for closing and securing work areas at the end of the work day should always be followed. If personal property is stolen, the incident should always be reported to the Campus Police.

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