The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-10-10
I1AL
BOYLE
SAYS
BY Hal BOYLE

NEW YORK R-Ihe most COM
mon criminal in America today is
neither the burglar, the bandit nor
the shady opium salesman.
No law really protects the pub
lie against him. He operates with
smooth tongue instead of a gun,
he rarely is strung from a gallows
as some think he deserves, and
yet every year he walks away scot
free with millions.
Who is this bold rascal? Well, If
you are able to read, it is probably
you-the ordinary book thief.
But I'm not a book thief" you
protest. why, / never stole book
in my life. -
Oh, yes you did If you go in
spect your books right now, the
chances are that you'll find a book
that says Stolen from the library
of -" And the name written
therein won't be your own.
But / didn't really steal it'll
only borrowed it," you say, and
add, " - And ! certainly intend
to return it,"
Maybe. But you probably have
had it for years. You are holding
this valuable property against the
real owners wili--of course he
wanted it back long ago-and if
that isn't thievery, what is it?
He could 60 to court about it,
but among book lovers there is a
tolerant recognition of human frail-
ty and general live-and-let-live
policy. And of course each knows
the other fellow may break down
sometime and buy book worth
borrowing himself.
The true professional book thief
is a scoundrel who steals precious |
volumes only to barter these price
less products of the human spirit |
for filthy cash. He is beneath the
contempt of murderers, and stands |
alone in the very sewer of crime.
There is also the occasional klep. |
tomaniac who has such a compul-
sion to take what doesn't belong i
to him that he win rent a $40
hotel room just for chance to lift |
a Gideon Bible.
But most of Americas millions |
of book thieves are happy anna
tours, who prefer to be known as
'long.term borrowers. And this
softer term Is often used by forgiv- |
ing librarians who know how hard |
it is for some patrons to bring |
back a book they are having a
long love affair with.
1--WE never say they are stolen"
said lady spokesman for the New |
York Public Library. I'VE say the
people just forgot TO return them.
Sometimes they come back Is
years late"
Sometimes also they are mailed
back by the widows of the men
who checked them out years be-
fore "for four weeks, then heid
them until death.
The volumes that now are most
likely to vanish mysteriously from
open library shelves are the How
To.Do-Something' books. such as
"How To Become A Detective"
One with that title doesn't have a
chance.
But the ordinary book providers
like you and me. who merely feed
on each others collections. actual
~ serve a useful purpose. As the
bees poIlinaie a clover field. We
enrich our own store OF books BY
borrowing back and forth, giving
it a variety il would otherwise
lack.
/ doubt il have read any Of the
scores OF books ] bought myself in
the last 10 years. They never stay
in ms house long enough. But !
never fail 10 read book dor
row ard ! am honest enough to
say never borrowed one with the
real intention Of returning IL.
But my private library Is an open
shelf-of other peoples books. I'D
match Il against any mans, and
the Odds are il contains al least
one book that belongs 10 him.