Planned theft continues to be difficult to stop. The old Main Library was the first to install a theft detection system in 1974. The initial system was magnetic but was found to be labor intensive for staff. When the radio frequency theft detection system, most commonly used in retail stores, became available several years later, the Fort Worth Public Library made the switch. Unchecked items will activate the theft detection system by locking the exit gate and emitting a high-pitched beep.
Library thefts are doubly challenging.
Many times the effort is not successful. Books tend to go out of print in about two years. That's because it's not profitable for publishers to keep a backup stock and, as a result, approximately 40 percent of the items stolen at the Fort Worth Public Library are irreplaceable. In addition, when replacement items are located, they are normally more expensive than the original items. Since 1991, the cost of library material has gone up 30 percent because of an increase in paper prices.