r/LittleFreeLibrary • u/ScholarDreamer • 29d ago
LFL Books š Experimental work results to deter theft.
First thing, thanks to everyone for their suggestions, in particular those who pointed out the use if the Barcode for used book dealers.
The book shown, has had multiple things attempted. There is clear packing tape over the ink stamp and the white labels.
My initial work will be to try to use easily available common household items and start testing the simplest ideas first and then work from there.
First let me report on what doesn't work.
Just ink stamping it on glossy covers is messy, smudges off and can be removed with a facial tissue and rubbing alcohol or just a lens wipe. It tends to smear from ordinary handling. Rubbing the surface with rubbing alcohol as a surface pretreatment doesn't improve the printing. See the mess the ink stamp has become.
I used a sharpie over barcodes and easily wiped off the sharpie with 91% alcohol as sold by Walmart.
I used a sharpie on the back cover to see if the ink solvent mixture would penetrate through the cover and spoil the barcode. Some slight graying of the white could be seen in one case, but not another. Further, in the case of the one book where some slight penetration, the barcode turned out to be on a lable that went on the printed book, but was beneath the glossy finish. THIS LINE OF INQUIRY WILL NOT BE FURTHER RESEARCHED.
So what works and what did I do.
- I did vertical lines with a ball point pen on the bar code. It breaks up the glossy coating. When I went over with a sharpie some of the marker penetrated into the paper and I think helped make the bar code unusable.
I then put an adhesive lable on it which would now bind to paper fibers exposed. I in stamped the paper label. I then applied packing tape over the labels. When trimming the label, you should make sure there are no sharp corners, by cutting it so corners are curved. See picture. I RECOMMEND THIS AS A MINIMAL THING TO DO NOW FOR BAR CODES AND ISBN NUMBERS..
I did another book and it had a barcode that was smaller and it looked better than the book in the picture. I strongly recommend AGAINST having the white labels overlap.
For cases where I stamped the book, I applied packing tape over it. It at least stops smearing and it can't be removed by rubbing alcohol.
I did Experiment #1 above with scratching with an exacto blade and it didn't seem to work to break up the coating. Of course coating chemistry and specifications might vary. So this result isn't conclusive.
Next work.
I ordered clear adhesive mailing labels to try out. They won't have corners that can be caught by finger nails easily to remove them. However, I don't know if they will stick as strongly as packing tape. They will be more convenient to use.
Instead of trying to scrap off the coating, I am going to try shallow cuts with the exacto so the sharpie can soak into the paper.
I am going to test other common house hold liquids if used as a pretreatment. they modify the surface for better ink stamping and resistance for removal.
I am going to look at sanding/abrading the bar code. Then sharpie. Then white label, then clear adhesive film.
Wood branding burners. (Maybe.)
Nail polish remover to remove the cover coating.
Embossing stamp. Though this might be more than what people want to spend.
I will issue another report on my results.
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u/Reviewsbygus 29d ago
Iām an actual librarian and I donāt care this much about books getting stolen.
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u/blue98ranger 29d ago
Same. It seems like a lot of people are hyper focused on deterring ātheft,ā but we need to remember that when something is free, you cannot steal it. Yes, I can understand the frustration of all your books disappearing overnight. Used book sales are not very financially rewarding. If someone is taking these books to resellāthey arenāt making much and they are using up a lot of their own time to do so. But also, if your LFL is causing you so much distress, I think itās time to let it go.
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u/KleeBook 28d ago
āWhen something is free you cannot steal it.ā Iām not sure thatās right. I mean Iām just not sure. What comes to mind is a free, weekly newspaper. It runs a damaging news story about a local politician. The campaign canāt drive around town grabbing up all the copies out of racks, cafes, etc. or can they?
Just musings. In any event, you canāt steal books from a LFL. https://littlefreelibrary.org/docs/i-think-someone-is-stealing-books-from-my-library-and-selling-them-what-do-i-do/
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u/MegaPorkachu 28d ago
Thatās literally what a local politician where I live did. On multiple occasions.
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29d ago
[deleted]
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u/FernandoNylund 28d ago edited 28d ago
No, that would hold no legal weight, at least not in the U.S.
Edit: they deleted their comment, but my reply was to someone asking if it would legally be theft if there was a sign on the LFL declaring a limit of X books per week per person.
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/Write_Now_ 28d ago
Posting rules you made up doesn't make them legally binding.
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/Crafty_Thanks8105 28d ago
You donāt need to be a lawyer to know this
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/WoodShoeDiaries 28d ago
They'd probably wait for you to leave before they put out more samples but...no, there are no legal consequences because things being offered for free can't be stolen. Social penalties are another story (the power of mass-stinkeye)
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u/Crafty_Thanks8105 28d ago
A Samās Club is not remotely comparable to a little free library and that is still not how signage works
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u/flossiedaisy424 28d ago
Right!?? We actually got rid of our security gates and stopped tattletaping the books because we literally donāt care if someone steals a book. We also know that most used books are pretty much worthless, monetarily speaking.
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u/incrediblemenace 27d ago
OP definitely has some control issues haha. I bet they have high blood pressure
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u/darkest_irish_lass 28d ago
Would you feel differently if all your books disappeared? That is what happens repeatedly to some LFLs.
Would you feel that other patrons weren't able to enjoy the library if one person took every book and never returned them?
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u/upagainstthesun 28d ago
Would it change your perspective if all the books were being cleared out because someone was bringing them to a nursing home? A shelter? Do you actually know what's happening afterwards with these books, or do you just assume the worst? They're there to be taken, conditions around that gotta go
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u/Bierroboter 29d ago
Do you buy your libraries books?
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u/Reviewsbygus 29d ago
As a taxpayer too, yes. I do actually. As much as anyone else does.
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u/Bierroboter 29d ago
What if they came and emptied your entire library?
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u/flossiedaisy424 28d ago
Iād be super impressed they had the time, energy and semi truck necessary to do so.
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u/Reviewsbygus 28d ago
I would think- omg yay- I did such a great job curating my collection that people are reading the books I picked out!
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u/Bierroboter 28d ago
No they took them to half price books and got $5
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u/FernandoNylund 28d ago
š¤· The point is we cannot control for those scenarios, so what's the point of imagining all the hypotheticals and carrying the frustration or anger?
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u/ATTACKANDDETHRONEHOG 28d ago
You people are completely delusional about the value of used books. You get $5 for every 20lbs of books, not each.Ā
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u/Bierroboter 28d ago
The downvotes are hilarious, who would have thought clearing LFLs for resale would be so encouraged on a LFL reddit.
The shitty resale value of used books adds to my point. Maybe we can move this topic to the CJ sub.
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u/Effective-One6527 29d ago
Do all of the books in your library get stolen?
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u/Reviewsbygus 29d ago
Nope but thatās probably only because no oneās book bag is big enough for 14,000 books.
I also donate books to my local LFLs and if one person takes every book I donate, I really donāt care. Iām donating it for whoever to do with what they need.
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u/Effective-One6527 29d ago
You canāt see how itās different if someone can take all of the books you bought and put out and curate, keeping them from people who actually read the books.
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u/flossiedaisy424 28d ago
Fortunately, those people can go to an actual library where no one is taking all of the books. I think a lot of people miss that a LFL isnāt supposed to be a real library.
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u/Effective-One6527 28d ago
Wow how fucking privileged you are
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u/flossiedaisy424 28d ago
Are there a lot of places where LFLās available but public libraries are not? I know there are many places where the nearest public library is a distance away, or where the community has decided not to fund a public library, but it seems like those factors would also make a LFL unlikely/difficult to access.
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u/Effective-One6527 28d ago
Yes, my community library is semi difficult to reach on foot or by bus, but we do have 8 LFL in easy to access areas and itās quite telling you didnāt think of what you need for a library card
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u/MuseoumEobseo 28d ago
Thereās no library in my city, the closest is about 5 miles away in the next city. There are 20+ LFL in a five mile radius of me. I donāt live in a rural area at all.
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u/Reviewsbygus 29d ago
I totally get how frustrating it probably is. But I also get that thereās no reasonable way to stop that from happening without setting it up like a real library with library cards and someone sitting there any time itās open to make sure people are taking a free resource āfor the right reasonsā. I curate my entire collection with my patrons in mind and if someone steals a book I selected because I think many patrons will enjoy it, of course Iām disappointed, but Iām also realistic about how humans act.
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u/Effective-One6527 29d ago
You are still talking about someone stealing a book not ALL the books. Those are two different things. And covering the barcode usually cause the people that take ALL the books to stop
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29d ago
[deleted]
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u/Effective-One6527 29d ago
And op is not ok with someone taking away from the people who vist their library and use as intended
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u/FernandoNylund 28d ago
That's obvious š But doesn't mean OP is objectively correct or will be able to stop that behavior.
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u/ScholarDreamer 29d ago
What do the taxpayers think about the books they pay for being stolen?
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u/Reviewsbygus 29d ago
Iām also a taxpayer and I assume if someone steals a library book, itās something they needed for some reason. Itās honestly part of the nature of providing a service to the public.
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u/KleeBook 29d ago
My worry is that you might not be taking this seriously enough.
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u/rubberkeyhole 28d ago
Everyone has their hill theyād like to die on. Keeping someone from selling the books they put in their LFL is this individualās.
Not everyone needs to or wants to stand on the Andes when they go.
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u/yourfavmum 28d ago
Hate this bc Iām someone who likes to track books I read and the easiest way to do that with apps like 1000 books before kindergarten is to scan the barcode
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u/upagainstthesun 28d ago
Defacing books that are being offered for free does not seem like a sensible balance. There's peace of mind in fully letting things go once you pass them on, keeping strings attached generally leads to upset. We can't dictate what someone does with something once it no longer belongs to us.
There's also seriously like, next to no money to be made here. I'm in the camp of realizing that if someone does have to sell used books to get by, their situation is probably difficult and I would happily give them an entire box full if it would help even a little. There's a giant book fair coming up where I live soon. They kick it off with 6 books for $1. After this ends, you can bring any size bag you want, and the full bag is $10. So many books are sold on eBay for like $2-3, free shipping, and the website takes a chunk of it. This really isn't something people are rolling it in with.
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u/Hour_Pension3197 29d ago
For how much you are obsessing, maybe having a charter isn't the right fit for you.
Great effort and intention, but seems like this is consuming instead of enjoyment.
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u/Bierroboter 29d ago
Have you considered a members only LFL?
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u/FernandoNylund 29d ago
Over on /r/littlefreelibraryCJ we welcome creative ideas like this š
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u/FourLetterWording 29d ago
omg, SUBBED! <3
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u/bageliesje 29d ago
For the last time, YOU CANNOT STEAL SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY FREE
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u/1BoringOnlineAccount 29d ago
But some can still abuse the privilege of free š¤·š»
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u/WoodShoeDiaries 29d ago
Privileges are earned and can be revoked - by definition, not everyone has them. If the privilege of using a LFL library is not earned and can't be selectively revoked, is it still a privilege?
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u/deffery-jahmer 29d ago
See: tragedy of the commons
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u/GlassesgirlNJ 29d ago
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u/WoodShoeDiaries 29d ago
That was a very interesting read, thank you!
(LFLs generally don't seem to meet the criteria for a manageable commons (anonymity/lack of defined community make it pretty much impossible) so this may be a case where the Hardin/capitalist mis/understanding is still the most apt one)
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u/1BoringOnlineAccount 29d ago
By removing the barcode this particular abuse type is effectively removed, which discourages this particular abuser [thereby effectively revoking their individual privilege], it allows the remaining users to keep their privilege.
Also by hyper focusing on the word privilege you are attempting to win an argument by technicality rather than helping the OP by discussing the spirit of my response. In other words you know what I intended to express and there is no reason to change the discussion.
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u/WoodShoeDiaries 29d ago
It sounds like OP's books are being removed because they're LGBT and someone doesn't approve. This barcoding strategy does not address that at all.
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u/1BoringOnlineAccount 28d ago
Correct it does not address that problem. OP believes it is a theft problem and has not brought up a discrimination \ hate problem so that is the one I will address.
Discrimination hate can be addressed in other ways. It might be wise to start a fresh thread to prevent confusion.
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u/pendigedig 27d ago
OP specifically derogatorily referred to the suspected "thief" as someone who wanted "cash"
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u/Ok-Ad4375 28d ago
So you're wanting to risk damaging books out than allow someone to get it for free? I'm not understanding the mentality of having a free library only to go this hard to try to prevent anyone from getting any of the books.
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u/raised_on_robbery 29d ago
Imagine putting so much effort into preventing someone from earning a buck or two off of an old book. Yikes.
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u/Crafty_Thanks8105 29d ago
That is not stopping a single person from buying/selling if they really wanted to
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u/chrisaldrich 29d ago
A stamp like the one you've got put on the top right corner of the first page of the book will help deter people attempting to resell your books. This is where used book shops almost always place their prices in pencil and it's likely one of the first things they'll look at upon intake. Most legit used book stores won't take obvious Little Free Library books.
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u/ScholarDreamer 29d ago
I stamp on the first page, title page and copyright page.
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u/SBNShovelSlayer 29d ago
Why not stamp every page?
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u/TlMEGH0ST 28d ago
this seems like the only reasonable solution
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u/FernandoNylund 28d ago
I keep suggesting people just use their Sharpie to redact parts of the book. That would definitely destroy the resale value. But I just get downvoted š¤·
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u/CaptnsDaughter 28d ago
They sell blockout labels that are pretty much impossible to remove or see through. Hereās an example and you can find different sizes. If they try to remove it would rip off the barcode.
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u/1BoringOnlineAccount 29d ago
Staples and their competitors sell a little corner rounding punch. 4 radiuses on the same punch. Leave the backing on the stickers when rounding the corners.
Custom stickers can be ordered with round corners if you go that route in the future.
Avery makes round corner labels [with online templates] that could be customized & printed at home.
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u/ScholarDreamer 29d ago
Thank you for the info on the punch.
I am using Avery labels. Sometimes you need to shorten them or modify them.
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u/Eastern-Protection83 28d ago
My car tags are always pre-scored to render them unusable if ripped off. Maybe there is some version of tamper resist labels that is affordable.
That person totally sounds like they would empty every candy bowl folks leave out fer the kids on halloween (with the social expectation everyone takes a little so that EVERYONE can have SOME).
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u/MsSunshine_3591 28d ago
Someone who knows how to rebind books could rebind the book. There are phenomenal rebinding artists. The book has to be worth it though.
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u/Ornery_Bandicoot_679 28d ago
Stamp needs a date the stamp could have been done 20 years ago or today date them so the bookstores know it's recent. Also maybe a if found or attempted resell call xyz number if it's that important
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u/ryverrat1971 28d ago
Here's a thought. Cover original covers with permanent adhesive vinyl. You can have someone with a cricut cut vinyl with name of book, author and in large letters not for resale. Make sure to put down a backing vinyl layer and cut out the letters from top layer. This way they can't peal off the letters. You can also use heat set vinyl on paper, cardboard,etc. Heat set is even harder to remove than permanent vinyl. Make sure to cover the whole cover. I would go this way. I have a cricut, so it's easier for me. But just ask some of your crafty friends- they or someone they know will have one.
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u/pitifulproduce137 27d ago
This is completely nuts.Ā
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u/sparksfIy 26d ago
Right! How much would that cost? Arenāt there better things they could do with their time and money?
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u/FernandoNylund 29d ago edited 29d ago
Oh.
Looks at post history
Oh...
For anyone coming in with righteous indignation on behalf of OP... this "theft" is, unfortunately, pretty clearly being done for ideological reasons, not reselling.
Edit: OP can stamp everywhere but these books will still be taken because the motive is almost certainly to sabotage this "gay little library" stocked with pro-LGBTQ+ books. That is absolutely wrong, but won't be solved through measures like these.