Larry Cruse sent in a message recently about a Map Theft on the East Coast. He has just forwarded another message to the list about this problem. A related message was just sent out over the MAPHIST list. Both messages are included in this message. ---------------------Johnnie -------------------------------------------------------------- >From: [log in to unmask] >Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1995 15:46:00 -0800 >Subject: More Map Theft To Library Security Officers: I have just had word that the John Carter Brown Library, Providence, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, have experienced map thefts much like the one at Johns Hopkins University. It is possible that the thief may be the same person. Johns Hopkins University has made contact with the FBI, and the others will be encouraged to do so too. Please be on the alert -- especially East Coast libraries on the route to Florida. I will re-post the original message from Johns Hopkins for your information. Susan, Moderator, LSOlist -- Susan M. Allen, Director of Libraries and Media Services Kalamazoo College Library Ext. 7149; E-mail: sallen ---------------------------------------------------------- >Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1995 17:35:42 EST >Sender: Map History Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> >From: MR RICHARD L PFLEDERER <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Map vandalism Members please note this story today about a man vandalizing maps in university libraries. Dick Pflederer extracted from: Copyright 1995 Prodigy Services Co. PRODIGY(R) interactive personal service 12/14/95 5:27 PM 1:14 PM (ET) 12/14 Suspect Left Telltale List CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --The FBI is searching for a man suspected of vandalizing rare books in college libraries across the country for the last 18 months. A list left behind at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland tipped the FBI to search for Gilbert Joseph Bland Jr., who also used the name James Perry, officials said. Bland, 45, who claims to be a graduate student, was caught last week at a Johns Hopkins library slicing a map from a book dating to the 1700s, but police let him go after he paid to repair the book. In a bag Bland left behind, university officials found 12 other maps that had been removed from 18th-century books, along with a list of libraries including those at Duke University in Durham, Brown University in Providence, R.I., and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Bland is suspected of ripping pages last week from three books at the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The books are worth $3,900 and one dates to the 17th century. He showed a University of Florida photo ID to gain access, said Charles McNamara, the library's rare books curator. A records search failed to find any students named James Perry at the Gainesville, Fla., school. Bland also is suspected of taking two maps from a pair of books housed at the North Carolina Collection. Each is valued at about $2,500. Curators at Duke's Special Collections Library believe Bland damaged 16 of its rare books, some more than 300 years old. Bland has used the name Perry at seven Eastern and Midwestern university libraries. Most reported damaged books.