Library: 5 laptops stolen in one year

By Laban Pelz
The Collegian

The Collegian learned Tuesday that a total of five laptop computers have been stolen from Henry Madden Library within the past year.

The investigation began with the revelation last week that a laptop was stolen Oct. 3 of this year, a theft that prompted library circulation services to place tighter security measures on checkout procedures.

Students can check out laptops at the library for a maximum of four hours, and for the past few years have had to remain in the building while using the computers.

But the recent activity in preparation of construction has caused a shortage of space, and students have been allowed to take laptops outside the library.

Head of circulation services Pat Lavigna said the most recent theft involved a female Fresno State student checking out a Dell laptop, leaving the building and simply not returning when her time was over.

“When she didn’t come back in time, we called her up and said we will call the police,” she said.

Lavigna said the student “had some words for us that I shouldn’t repeat,” and the student denied checking out the computer. Lavigna said she called campus police and an investigation is underway with a suspect.

Lavigna said two of the other laptops were stolen by persons using student identification cards that did not belong to them. She said each person checking out the computer looked enough like the person in the card’s picture that each got away. She said one of these thefts occurred last spring and the other happened last year.

The other two of the five stolen laptops were each still in boxes and were taken by non-students, Lavigna said, and she gave no further details.

The library now requires two forms of identification for students checking out laptops; a university ID card and a driver’s license are typical. Lavigna said the library went with this requirement “almost immediately” after the most recent theft.

The two-ID requirement is meant to prevent students from checking out laptops with stolen ID cards.

Though the Oct. 3 theft didn’t involve a stolen card, Lavigna said it was what prompted the measure.

Other changes in security include planned installation of video cameras over each laptop check-out station and using an activity reader for student’s cards. The reader can tell whether a student is currently enrolled or not.

Before disclosing the Oct. 3 theft suspect is still enrolled, Lavigna said it was possible the suspect could be a former student using her old card. She also made clear the suspect is a Fresno State student and not from University High School whose students’ ID cards are nearly identical to those of Fresno State students’.

Lavigna said she doesn’t think the library’s policy allowing laptops outside the building will change.

She said the library’s procedure in the event of theft is to notify campus police and University Risk Management.

The University Police Department and the Department of Public Safety declined to comment on the theft or the investigation and referred all questions to University Communications.

University spokeswoman Shirley Armbruster said she was unaware of the theft until Oct. 21 when asked about it by The Collegian.

Risk Management would not comment Tuesday.

Associated Students Vice President of Finances Esmeralda Santos said the theft was not reported to AS.

She said the laptop stolen Oct. 3 was paid for by the university and not AS, but an AS-funded computer was one of the two stolen using stolen ID cards.

“Security is an issue,” Santos said. “It is something to address.”

A portion of the library’s laptops are funded by AS.

Lavigna said students quickly got used to needing two ID cards to check out laptops.

“It was inconvenient for students at first,” she said, “but not now.”

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