I've just now realized that with all the hustle and bustle of the Boston Book Fair last weekend that I didn't manage to get links & reviews posted then, so I'm way behind (hence, this will be a long post).
First, a few thoughts on this year's Boston Book Weekend. The Book Fair seemed as well attended as any over the past few years, with a steady, diverse crowd throughout the weekend and what seemed to be a good deal of buying going on. As always, it was great fun to walk the aisles and chat with dealers about their new and exciting books, and to have a chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones, too. The "shadow show" on Saturday was also well attended, with a good selection of dealers and an impressive variety of material up for grabs.
Now that the fair, the Thanksgiving holiday, and a couple big writing deadlines are behind me, I should be able to get back to a more regular posting schedule here, with any luck at all. Fingers crossed.
- The Hartford Courant reports that the first batch of items stolen from the Connecticut Historical Society by Barry Landau and Jason Savedoff have been returned. In related news, Savedoff was sentenced recently to a year in prison. I've heard that other institutions have also begun taking receipt of their recovered materials as well.
- Todd Andrlik's new book Reporting the Revolutionary War is profiled in the WSJ.
- In the November issue of College & Research Libraries there's an article by Todd Samuelson, Laura Sare, and Catherine Coker, "Unusual Suspects: The Case of Insider Theft in Research Libraries and Special Collections." Worth reading, though some of the methodology seems a bit odd.
- The British Library announced this week that they're making more than 35,000 digital images from their illuminated manuscripts collection available under a public domain mark.
- The only known extant presentation copy of Emma will be on the block at Sotheby's on 12 December. This copy, inscribed to Austen's friend Anne Sharp, was last sold in March 2010 to a British collector for £325,000 (after being purchased at Bonhams in 2008 for £180,000). Sotheby's has placed a £150,000-200,000 estimate on the book this time.
- Over at The Little Professor, Miriam Burstein comments on how she's found herself using e-books. I nodded along as I read, because on just about every point I feel the same way. And in the Washington Post, Ron Charles reflects on his first attempt to write a book review after having read the book solely on his Kindle. Over at Slate, Andrew Piper offers up his thoughts on reading as physical experience.
- The Appendix blog has launched, and as expected it's already filling up with some fascinating posts. Read them all here.
- A couple recent articles on some neat cryptographic breakthroughs make for interesting reading: the first was in the 24 October New York Times, and the second in Wired on 16 November.
- Now available in public beta, juxta commons, an online collation tool. I got to work with this a bit over the summer at UVA, and it's really quite fascinating to use.
- A private collector of Revolutionary-era materials was the winning bidder on all 27 lots of material from the Muhlenberg family at Freeman's auction house on 16 November, so the collection will be kept intact.
- Karin Wulf has been named the next director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture.
- Not too long after news broke that he'd been hired at the bookstore of the New York State Military Museum, Daniel Lorello (convicted of thefts from the State Archives) was fired.
- The DPLA has posted some "Key Takeaways" from an October meeting in Chicago.
- David Wagner summarizes the continuing dustup over Henry Weincek's new book about Jefferson, Master of the Mountain.
- Evolutionary biologist Blair Hedges is back at the books again: this time he's analyzed wormholes in woodblock illustrations to explore historical distribution of wood-boring beetle species.
Reviews
- John A. Jenkins' The Partisan; review by Adam Cohen in the NYTimes.
- Amy Greenberg's A Wicked War; review by Jonathan Yardley in the WaPo.
- Michael Slater's The Great Charles Dickens Scandal; review by Simon Callow in The Guardian.
- Daniel Swift's Shakespeare's Common Prayers; review by Michael Dirda in the WaPo.
- Sheila Hale's Titian; review by Nicholas Delbanco in the LATimes.
- Philip Gura's The American Antiquarian Society, 1812-2012; review by Michael Ryan in C&RL.
- Robert Sullivan's My American Revolution; review by Sam Roberts in the NYTimes. I picked this one up in a bookstore a while back, thinking it might be interesting, but put it back on the shelf immediately when I got page 7, where Sullivan calls Boston's Freedom Trail the "Liberty Trail." Shudder.
Showing posts with label Daniel Lorello. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Lorello. Show all posts
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Jackson Letter Recovered
An Andrew Jackson letter stolen from the New York State Library has been recovered after a University of Tennessee historian noticed it on the auction site Profiles in History, according to media reports. The letter, written by Jackson to Samuel Swartout on 24 March 1824, was being offered for sale at $35,000. Timothy Coens saw the letter and informed New York authorities, who were able to arrange for its return.
Investigators discovered the letter was missing from the State Library during the investigation into the thefts of Daniel Lorello, a former State Archives employee now serving a prison sentence. WTEN's report says that the theft of this letter has now been "tied" to Lorello's spree as well.
Investigators discovered the letter was missing from the State Library during the investigation into the thefts of Daniel Lorello, a former State Archives employee now serving a prison sentence. WTEN's report says that the theft of this letter has now been "tied" to Lorello's spree as well.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Looking Back
As 2009 makes its arrival (in a bone-chilling way here in Boston: it's currently 6 degrees, with a wind chill making it feel like -13), The Guardian looks back at 2008 in books, an interesting compilation of last year's biblio-news.
Concerning other matters of interest (presumably) to you all, dear readers, here are some of the highlights and lowlights (mostly the latter, unfortunately) from 2008 in book crime. The hyperlinks on each person's name will take you to previous posts related to their crimes. Following the chronology is a list of thefts from this year which remain unsolved.
- The Transy Four failed in their bid to obtain reduced prison sentences when a three-judge panel on the Court of Appeals ruled that they should have received more prison time rather than less. (February) Unfortunately their trial judge ignored the appeals court and let her original sentences stand. (October)
- Eight books stolen from a Slovakian library in December 2007 were recovered in a Bupadest bookshop. (February)
- Jay Miller was sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term for the theft of rare books and antiques from the estate of retired Harvard professor William Ernest Hocking. (March) He was released from prison after only seven months. (November)
- Oliver Fallon, who stole materials from the Scottish Catholic Archive in Edinburgh, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine of £16,000. (May)
- Peter Joseph Bellwood was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by five years' expulsion from Denmark, and ordered to pay a 324,000 kroner ($67,000) fine for the theft of maps from the collections of the Danish Royal Library. (May) Bellwood is currently serving a 4.5-year prison term in Britain for thefts from the National Library of Wales.
- William Simon Jacques, suspected of stealing books from the Royal Horticultural Society in London, skipped bail and is believed to remain at large. (May)
- Raymond Scott, an eccentric British book dealer, was arrested after the recovery of Durham University's First Folio, which Scott took to the Folger Library for authentication. (July) Scott filed suit against the university claiming it's not their Folio (October), but was was later re-arrested in the First Folio case, and then again for stealing books from a Waterstone's shop (November)
- In the case of César Gómez Rivero, Spanish paper El Pais reported that two South American associates of Rivero had been identified, and that investigations continue. (August)
- Richard Delaney, who stole £89,000 worth of rare books and maps from Birmingham University, was sentenced to a one-year prison term (which the judge ordered suspended for eighteen months). (August)
- Eugene Zollman was indicted on charges that he stole Jefferson Davis materials from Transylvania University in 1994. The case was assigned to judge Jennifer Coffman, the same judge who ruled in the Transy Four case. Zollman's case is pending. (August)
- James Brubaker was sentenced to 30 months and prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to more than 100 libraries from which he stole more than 1000 items. (September)
- Edward Renehan, former head of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, was sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term, plus two years of supervised release and the forfeiture of $86,700 (which he'd received for the sale of letters he stole from the TRA's collections). (September)
- Several books stolen from a Vienna bookshop in October 2007 were recovered in Toronto, but the suspects in the case were not expected to face charges. Other books from the heist had been recovered earlier in Europe. (October)
- Joshua McCarty and two associates (Zachary Scranton and Angela Bays) were arrested in relation to the theft of two rare Ohio law books from the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center (September). McCarty and Scranton were later indicted (October). The case is still pending, so far as I can tell.
- Daniel Lorello, a former employee at the New York State Archives who stole items from the State Library, was sentenced to 2-6 years in prison (which I still think is an awfully wide range), ordered to pay $129,500 in restitution, to be divided among people who unknowingly bought stolen property, and agreed to forfeit his personal collection of historic artifacts and documents, valued at approximately $80,000, to the New York State Library and Archives. (October)
- Denning McTague, who stole Civil War documents from the National Archives in Philadelphia while working there as an intern, was released from prison after serving twelve months of a fifteen-month term. (October)
- Book collector Farhad Hakimzadeh was arrested on charges that he defaced more than 150 books at several British libraries in order to "improve his personal collection" with the illustrations and maps. (November) He'll be sentenced this month.
- Laessio Rodrigues de Oliveira was sentenced to five years in prison for the theft of several rare books from the Institute for Research Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro. (December)
- Lester Weber, former curator of the Mariners' Museum, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to theft, mail fraud and filing false tax returns. Weber stole more than 3,500 documents from the museum and sold them on eBay (most have not been recovered). Weber's wife, Lori Childs, was sentenced to a fifteen-month prison term for filing a false tax return. (December)
The following thefts from 2008 remain unsolved (as far as I know):
- A large collection of maps and atlases, stolen from a London collector's office in December.
- A number of rare books stolen from a display case at Boston's Old South Church in September.
- A Mark Twain letter, reported missing after the Denver Book Fair in August.
- Four manuscript diaries from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, stolen at Boston's South Station in March.
Updates or additions always appreciated.
Concerning other matters of interest (presumably) to you all, dear readers, here are some of the highlights and lowlights (mostly the latter, unfortunately) from 2008 in book crime. The hyperlinks on each person's name will take you to previous posts related to their crimes. Following the chronology is a list of thefts from this year which remain unsolved.
- The Transy Four failed in their bid to obtain reduced prison sentences when a three-judge panel on the Court of Appeals ruled that they should have received more prison time rather than less. (February) Unfortunately their trial judge ignored the appeals court and let her original sentences stand. (October)
- Eight books stolen from a Slovakian library in December 2007 were recovered in a Bupadest bookshop. (February)
- Jay Miller was sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term for the theft of rare books and antiques from the estate of retired Harvard professor William Ernest Hocking. (March) He was released from prison after only seven months. (November)
- Oliver Fallon, who stole materials from the Scottish Catholic Archive in Edinburgh, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine of £16,000. (May)
- Peter Joseph Bellwood was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by five years' expulsion from Denmark, and ordered to pay a 324,000 kroner ($67,000) fine for the theft of maps from the collections of the Danish Royal Library. (May) Bellwood is currently serving a 4.5-year prison term in Britain for thefts from the National Library of Wales.
- William Simon Jacques, suspected of stealing books from the Royal Horticultural Society in London, skipped bail and is believed to remain at large. (May)
- Raymond Scott, an eccentric British book dealer, was arrested after the recovery of Durham University's First Folio, which Scott took to the Folger Library for authentication. (July) Scott filed suit against the university claiming it's not their Folio (October), but was was later re-arrested in the First Folio case, and then again for stealing books from a Waterstone's shop (November)
- In the case of César Gómez Rivero, Spanish paper El Pais reported that two South American associates of Rivero had been identified, and that investigations continue. (August)
- Richard Delaney, who stole £89,000 worth of rare books and maps from Birmingham University, was sentenced to a one-year prison term (which the judge ordered suspended for eighteen months). (August)
- Eugene Zollman was indicted on charges that he stole Jefferson Davis materials from Transylvania University in 1994. The case was assigned to judge Jennifer Coffman, the same judge who ruled in the Transy Four case. Zollman's case is pending. (August)
- James Brubaker was sentenced to 30 months and prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to more than 100 libraries from which he stole more than 1000 items. (September)
- Edward Renehan, former head of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, was sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term, plus two years of supervised release and the forfeiture of $86,700 (which he'd received for the sale of letters he stole from the TRA's collections). (September)
- Several books stolen from a Vienna bookshop in October 2007 were recovered in Toronto, but the suspects in the case were not expected to face charges. Other books from the heist had been recovered earlier in Europe. (October)
- Joshua McCarty and two associates (Zachary Scranton and Angela Bays) were arrested in relation to the theft of two rare Ohio law books from the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center (September). McCarty and Scranton were later indicted (October). The case is still pending, so far as I can tell.
- Daniel Lorello, a former employee at the New York State Archives who stole items from the State Library, was sentenced to 2-6 years in prison (which I still think is an awfully wide range), ordered to pay $129,500 in restitution, to be divided among people who unknowingly bought stolen property, and agreed to forfeit his personal collection of historic artifacts and documents, valued at approximately $80,000, to the New York State Library and Archives. (October)
- Denning McTague, who stole Civil War documents from the National Archives in Philadelphia while working there as an intern, was released from prison after serving twelve months of a fifteen-month term. (October)
- Book collector Farhad Hakimzadeh was arrested on charges that he defaced more than 150 books at several British libraries in order to "improve his personal collection" with the illustrations and maps. (November) He'll be sentenced this month.
- Laessio Rodrigues de Oliveira was sentenced to five years in prison for the theft of several rare books from the Institute for Research Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro. (December)
- Lester Weber, former curator of the Mariners' Museum, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to theft, mail fraud and filing false tax returns. Weber stole more than 3,500 documents from the museum and sold them on eBay (most have not been recovered). Weber's wife, Lori Childs, was sentenced to a fifteen-month prison term for filing a false tax return. (December)
The following thefts from 2008 remain unsolved (as far as I know):
- A large collection of maps and atlases, stolen from a London collector's office in December.
- A number of rare books stolen from a display case at Boston's Old South Church in September.
- A Mark Twain letter, reported missing after the Denver Book Fair in August.
- Four manuscript diaries from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, stolen at Boston's South Station in March.
Updates or additions always appreciated.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Lorello Sentenced
When it rains, it pours. Daniel Lorello, former employee at the New York State Archives who entered a guilty plea back in August for the theft and sale of items from the State Library, received his sentence on Thursday.
The Schenectady Gazette reports that he'll serve 2-6 years in prison (sort of a wide range there, isn't it?) plus pay "$129,500 in restitution, to be divided among people who unknowingly bought stolen property from him and later returned it to the state. He must also forfeit his personal collection of historic artifacts and documents, valued at approximately $80,000, to the New York State Library and Archives."
That last provision is a new one to me - I can't recall a time when a defendant was required to give up his entire collection (obtained legally). This must have been part of the plea deal, or a voluntary step taken by Lorello.
The state attorney general's office says that more than 1,600 items stolen by Lorello have been returned to the library.
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said in a statement: "Access to the historical collections of the nation is a fundamental right in our democracy. When someone steals from those collections, we are all harmed. Fortunately, most of the items stolen by Mr. Lorello have now been recovered." After receiving his sentence, Lorello apologized for his crimes before being led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
The Schenectady Gazette reports that he'll serve 2-6 years in prison (sort of a wide range there, isn't it?) plus pay "$129,500 in restitution, to be divided among people who unknowingly bought stolen property from him and later returned it to the state. He must also forfeit his personal collection of historic artifacts and documents, valued at approximately $80,000, to the New York State Library and Archives."
That last provision is a new one to me - I can't recall a time when a defendant was required to give up his entire collection (obtained legally). This must have been part of the plea deal, or a voluntary step taken by Lorello.
The state attorney general's office says that more than 1,600 items stolen by Lorello have been returned to the library.
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said in a statement: "Access to the historical collections of the nation is a fundamental right in our democracy. When someone steals from those collections, we are all harmed. Fortunately, most of the items stolen by Mr. Lorello have now been recovered." After receiving his sentence, Lorello apologized for his crimes before being led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Lorello Pleads
Everybody remembers Daniel Lorello, right? He's the former NYS Archives employee accused of stealing documents from the State Library and selling them on eBay. Yesterday he entered a guilty plea to a single count of second degree grand larceny, even though the AG's office maintains that he stole more than 1,600 individual items (at least those are the ones they've recovered) over a period of eleven years.
Lorello will be sentenced on 1 October; he faces a 2-6 year prison term plus a $73,000 restitution bill and a $56,000 "confession of judgment", payable to the Department of Education. As Travis says, "we'll see" how those sentences shake out.
Lorello will be sentenced on 1 October; he faces a 2-6 year prison term plus a $73,000 restitution bill and a $56,000 "confession of judgment", payable to the Department of Education. As Travis says, "we'll see" how those sentences shake out.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
More on Lorello Theft
Paul Grondahl's got a double-play in the Albany Times-Union today, with a second article providing some context and updates in the Daniel Lorello case. We learn about one specific eBay transaction in which Lorello met with the buyer of a Winfield Scott Hancock CDV in the parking lot of the State Library to hand over the item, and we get comments from respected Civil War historian Harold Holzer, who co-authored an archival guide with Lorello in the late 1990s. Holzer told Grondahl "It was a terrible thing that he did, a sort of rape of the collection, and there has to be some certainty of punishment along with restitution because he violated a public trust."
We also get quotes from several dealers who purchased items from Lorello at ephemera shows. One, Perry Frohne, told Grondahl "Dan ran under the radar because he picked the (expletive) that could make him money, but it wouldn't raise red flags from dealers."
No word yet, so far as I can tell, about when Lorello's next court date is, or any inkling that federal charges could be coming in the case.
We also get quotes from several dealers who purchased items from Lorello at ephemera shows. One, Perry Frohne, told Grondahl "Dan ran under the radar because he picked the (expletive) that could make him money, but it wouldn't raise red flags from dealers."
No word yet, so far as I can tell, about when Lorello's next court date is, or any inkling that federal charges could be coming in the case.
Vulnerable Archives
Hot on the heels of another round of archives thefts, Paul Grondahl has a report in the Albany (NY) Times-Union about the vulnerabilities of archival collections. "The reasons are many: the sheer volume; incomplete inventories; the cost of security; the value of the artifacts amid a growing demand from collectors; and the fact the documents are routinely retrieved by staffers for use by researchers in public reading rooms."
Grondahl's article includes comments by Richard Strassberg, a retired archivist who works with the Society of American Archivists to improve security at archival repositories. Grondahl says Strassberg "advocates spending more on security and tougher sentences for the thieves," both of which are entirely sensible and utterly necessary.
Kathleen Roe, New York's director of archives and records management operations, told Grondahl that various new security measures are being considered at the State Archives in the wake of the Lorello thefts, including mandatory bag checks. As I've noted here before, a panel is currently conducting a top-to-bottom review of the security procedures at the State Archives and Library.
Grondahl includes comments from archivists and special collections heads at local institutions including RPI, Union and Skidmore.
Grondahl's article includes comments by Richard Strassberg, a retired archivist who works with the Society of American Archivists to improve security at archival repositories. Grondahl says Strassberg "advocates spending more on security and tougher sentences for the thieves," both of which are entirely sensible and utterly necessary.
Kathleen Roe, New York's director of archives and records management operations, told Grondahl that various new security measures are being considered at the State Archives in the wake of the Lorello thefts, including mandatory bag checks. As I've noted here before, a panel is currently conducting a top-to-bottom review of the security procedures at the State Archives and Library.
Grondahl includes comments from archivists and special collections heads at local institutions including RPI, Union and Skidmore.
Monday, February 11, 2008
eBay to Buy Back Stolen Items
Some noteworthy [and precedent-setting?] fallout from the Daniel Lorello thefts: eBay has agreed to buy back the items sold by Lorello and return them to the New York State Library, the AP reports. "The online auction giant has no liability in the sale of the stolen artifacts, but agreed voluntarily to offer buyers the amount that they paid, according to the [NYS] official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because not all details of the investigation have been announced."
Buyers, who will face no criminal charges relating to the items purchased from Lorello, will be contacted by eBay and by NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office.
"The total cost of buying back the documents for which eBay has sales records is estimated at $68,000. The offer by eBay means the state won't have to spend money to buy the records. If there is a conviction, a court could order restitution."
Lorello is supposed to appear in court today.
Buyers, who will face no criminal charges relating to the items purchased from Lorello, will be contacted by eBay and by NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office.
"The total cost of buying back the documents for which eBay has sales records is estimated at $68,000. The offer by eBay means the state won't have to spend money to buy the records. If there is a conviction, a court could order restitution."
Lorello is supposed to appear in court today.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
NPR Covers Lorello Thefts
Sunday's "All Things Considered" included a segment on Daniel Lorello's thefts from the New York State Library. Audio runs almost five minutes.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Lorello Press Conference Audio
The indomitable Everett Wilkie has posted the audio [mp3] from Monday's press conference announcing the arrest of Daniel Lorello. The official press release is also available. Audio runs about a half hour.
I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but will do so tonight and update this post with my thoughts then.
[Friday night: I forgot there was a debate last night, so this had to wait another little while; it's certainly worth listening to. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo calls Lorello's crime "especially repugnant, because it's dealing with historic documents, which is literally stealing the legacy of the state of New York, page by page." Education Commissioner Richard Mills adds "Any theft of a historic document is reprehensible. It has the effect of erasing a page of history. A free nation must have access to its history, must have access to its documents."
Mills notes in the press conference that the State Library is "assembling a number of experts in research library security" to work with the facility to "make sure this doesn't happen again." He reports that the cameras Lorello feared are "on their way," and that "we need to do more." He says there will be a public report by these experts in the near future.
Also see Lorello's eBay feedback (courtesy of Joyce). ]
I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but will do so tonight and update this post with my thoughts then.
[Friday night: I forgot there was a debate last night, so this had to wait another little while; it's certainly worth listening to. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo calls Lorello's crime "especially repugnant, because it's dealing with historic documents, which is literally stealing the legacy of the state of New York, page by page." Education Commissioner Richard Mills adds "Any theft of a historic document is reprehensible. It has the effect of erasing a page of history. A free nation must have access to its history, must have access to its documents."
Mills notes in the press conference that the State Library is "assembling a number of experts in research library security" to work with the facility to "make sure this doesn't happen again." He reports that the cameras Lorello feared are "on their way," and that "we need to do more." He says there will be a public report by these experts in the near future.
Also see Lorello's eBay feedback (courtesy of Joyce). ]
Mid-Week Links
Since my Google Reader is getting full:
- I've added a sidebar link to Northern Illinois University Rare Books & Special Collections, a fairly new blog very much worth adding to your reading list. Lynne Thomas' recent post on the Lorello thefts and the "Antiques Roadshow Effect" is just one of the many there that I recommend.
- Michael highlights some amusing new book covers you can use to amuse your neighbors while reading on the train (or wherever).
- fade theory notes a Boston Globe article on the typography used in presidential campaign materials. Two typographers predict the winners based on the fonts they use ... and they're not bad predictions, either ...
- For the second time in a week flooding has occurred at Montana State University's Renne Library. On 22 January, water soaked rare books in the Special Collections department, and on the 29th a frozen pipe burst and damaged a large portion of the library's reference collection.
- Jim Watts points out a James Gleick article in a recent New York Times Magazine. Gleick uses the recent Magna Carta sale noting that as "information" becomes cheaper and more widely available, the physical container may not: "[T]he same free flow that makes information cheap and reproducible helps us treasure the sight of information that is not. A story gains power from its attachment, however tenuous, to a physical object. The object gains power from the story. The abstract version may flash by on a screen, but the worn parchment and the fading ink make us pause. The extreme of scarcity is intensified by the extreme of ubiquity."
- Tim's got some thoughts on a news story that's been making its way around the library-blog-world: Amazon may not be allowing libraries to loan out their new "Kindle" e-readers.
- Rick Ring has a list of upcoming auctions - I'll keep an eye on these and if anything interesting comes out of them, I'll certainly pass it along.
- I've added a sidebar link to Northern Illinois University Rare Books & Special Collections, a fairly new blog very much worth adding to your reading list. Lynne Thomas' recent post on the Lorello thefts and the "Antiques Roadshow Effect" is just one of the many there that I recommend.
- Michael highlights some amusing new book covers you can use to amuse your neighbors while reading on the train (or wherever).
- fade theory notes a Boston Globe article on the typography used in presidential campaign materials. Two typographers predict the winners based on the fonts they use ... and they're not bad predictions, either ...
- For the second time in a week flooding has occurred at Montana State University's Renne Library. On 22 January, water soaked rare books in the Special Collections department, and on the 29th a frozen pipe burst and damaged a large portion of the library's reference collection.
- Jim Watts points out a James Gleick article in a recent New York Times Magazine. Gleick uses the recent Magna Carta sale noting that as "information" becomes cheaper and more widely available, the physical container may not: "[T]he same free flow that makes information cheap and reproducible helps us treasure the sight of information that is not. A story gains power from its attachment, however tenuous, to a physical object. The object gains power from the story. The abstract version may flash by on a screen, but the worn parchment and the fading ink make us pause. The extreme of scarcity is intensified by the extreme of ubiquity."
- Tim's got some thoughts on a news story that's been making its way around the library-blog-world: Amazon may not be allowing libraries to loan out their new "Kindle" e-readers.
- Rick Ring has a list of upcoming auctions - I'll keep an eye on these and if anything interesting comes out of them, I'll certainly pass it along.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Lorello Tipster Profiled
The New York Times' story on the Lorello thefts focuses on Joseph Romito, the Virginia lawyer and "history buff" who alerted authorities that stolen items were being sold on eBay. Romito noticed the 9 November 1823 John Calhoun letter being sold by Lorello, "alerted the library, and was told that the matter was being looked into." Then he put in a high bid on the letter: "I knew I wasn’t going to end up buying it - I wasn’t going to pay for it - but I put in what I thought was a very high bid to try and keep it from going somewhere else. The government can be slow."
Romito has been called "the hero in the case" by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch also profiles Romito, who says when he saw the eBay description he looked in his copy of the Calhoun's published papers and saw that the letter was owned by the New York State Library. "Why would the state library relinquish this?" Romito says he asked himself.
The Albany Times-Union has a follow-up story today as well, noting that State Library staff have recovered 263 items so far (Lorello admitted stealing 300-400 items in 2007 alone). Robert Gavin's report adds: "Lorello sprinted away from reporters following his arraignment -- then walked the nearly six-mile trip to his home in Rensselaer County. He declined comment, and a ride, when approached by the Times Union on Route 43."
Gavin's TU story today does a bit more to flesh out the timeline of the investigation, noting that Lorello was confronted about the thefts last Tuesday. "Five days earlier, senior librarian Fred Bassett had received a call [from Romito] stating that Calhoun's letter, which was copied to microfilm in 1985, was somehow auctioned on eBay by someone with the idd1863 identification, court papers said. After Bassett determined the version being sold on eBay was authentic, he received more news - Calhoun's letter and its container were missing. When Kathi Stanley, another library staffer, checked other items being auctioned by idd1863, she found more items for sale, including a Currier & Ives West Point colored lithograph that also was missing, authorities said.
State Library Director Loretta Ebert examined the prior sales history for the idd1863 code, and learned of sales that included books matching the library's missing Davy Crockett's Almanack and The New England Anti-Slavery Almanac, court papers said."
Romito has been called "the hero in the case" by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch also profiles Romito, who says when he saw the eBay description he looked in his copy of the Calhoun's published papers and saw that the letter was owned by the New York State Library. "Why would the state library relinquish this?" Romito says he asked himself.
The Albany Times-Union has a follow-up story today as well, noting that State Library staff have recovered 263 items so far (Lorello admitted stealing 300-400 items in 2007 alone). Robert Gavin's report adds: "Lorello sprinted away from reporters following his arraignment -- then walked the nearly six-mile trip to his home in Rensselaer County. He declined comment, and a ride, when approached by the Times Union on Route 43."
Gavin's TU story today does a bit more to flesh out the timeline of the investigation, noting that Lorello was confronted about the thefts last Tuesday. "Five days earlier, senior librarian Fred Bassett had received a call [from Romito] stating that Calhoun's letter, which was copied to microfilm in 1985, was somehow auctioned on eBay by someone with the idd1863 identification, court papers said. After Bassett determined the version being sold on eBay was authentic, he received more news - Calhoun's letter and its container were missing. When Kathi Stanley, another library staffer, checked other items being auctioned by idd1863, she found more items for sale, including a Currier & Ives West Point colored lithograph that also was missing, authorities said.
State Library Director Loretta Ebert examined the prior sales history for the idd1863 code, and learned of sales that included books matching the library's missing Davy Crockett's Almanack and The New England Anti-Slavery Almanac, court papers said."
Monday, January 28, 2008
From Lorello's Statement
A few noteworthy quotes from Daniel Lorello's voluntary statement [PDF]. All are as they appear in the statement, unedited (but not in all caps).
- He estimates that he stole 300-400 items just in 2007: "The reason I increased by rate of stealing things was because I learned that surveillance cameras were going to be installed in 2007 and in place by the end of 2007. But the cameras were not installed."
- "I particularly liked items associated with the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Mexican War, Black Americana, WWI, anything related to the Roosevelts, & Jewish items. I took items belonging to all of these wars and ethnic groups and sold them on ebay or traded for items which I sold."
- "I worked 6:30A to 2:30PM. In 2007, I estimate that I stole items 65% of the time between the hours of 6:30AM to 7:00AM. I chose that time of day because there was nobody around. 25% of the time I took thing during the working day. 10% on weekends and state holidays."
- "I used the on-line catalogue to pick items/collections. I'd then pick out the items I wanted, placed it in a folder and walked. I was never questioned or challenged."
- "I estimate that the Attorney General's office recovered approximately 90% of everything I've ever taken."
- He describes a conversation with his "boss's boss" on 22 January which made him "nervous"; the next day, he says, he "wrote the letter of apology and returned the Calhoun letter. I did this by driving to Pittsfield, MA. Post Office and paid $14.00 by Express Mail. I asked that all be forgiven." It was the auction for the Calhoun letter which was being monitored by state authorities.
- Lorello describes several specific transactions, including the sale of two Davy Crockett almanacs to a buyer in Colorado, a Poor Richard's Almanac to a buyer in New Jersey, and several others.
- "I am solely responsible for the theft of all these historical documents."
Hopefully Travis will weigh in on all this - it sounds to me like there is at least the potential for some federal charges here, but I'm not well-versed enough on those legal things to speculate much for now. I'll keep an eye on it, and report back whenever I can.
[NB: Travis weighs in, here]
- He estimates that he stole 300-400 items just in 2007: "The reason I increased by rate of stealing things was because I learned that surveillance cameras were going to be installed in 2007 and in place by the end of 2007. But the cameras were not installed."
- "I particularly liked items associated with the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Mexican War, Black Americana, WWI, anything related to the Roosevelts, & Jewish items. I took items belonging to all of these wars and ethnic groups and sold them on ebay or traded for items which I sold."
- "I worked 6:30A to 2:30PM. In 2007, I estimate that I stole items 65% of the time between the hours of 6:30AM to 7:00AM. I chose that time of day because there was nobody around. 25% of the time I took thing during the working day. 10% on weekends and state holidays."
- "I used the on-line catalogue to pick items/collections. I'd then pick out the items I wanted, placed it in a folder and walked. I was never questioned or challenged."
- "I estimate that the Attorney General's office recovered approximately 90% of everything I've ever taken."
- He describes a conversation with his "boss's boss" on 22 January which made him "nervous"; the next day, he says, he "wrote the letter of apology and returned the Calhoun letter. I did this by driving to Pittsfield, MA. Post Office and paid $14.00 by Express Mail. I asked that all be forgiven." It was the auction for the Calhoun letter which was being monitored by state authorities.
- Lorello describes several specific transactions, including the sale of two Davy Crockett almanacs to a buyer in Colorado, a Poor Richard's Almanac to a buyer in New Jersey, and several others.
- "I am solely responsible for the theft of all these historical documents."
Hopefully Travis will weigh in on all this - it sounds to me like there is at least the potential for some federal charges here, but I'm not well-versed enough on those legal things to speculate much for now. I'll keep an eye on it, and report back whenever I can.
[NB: Travis weighs in, here]
NY Archives Employee Accused of Theft
Newsday reports:
"A long-time state archivist was accused of stealing hundreds of historic artifacts and documents from the New York State Library, including two Davy Crockett Almanacs, and selling some pieces on eBay.
Daniel Lorello, 54, an archives and records management specialist in the state Education Department, was arraigned Monday on charges of third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and first-degree scheme to defraud.
Lorello pleaded not guilty. He was released on his own recognizance and placed on administrative leave from his $71,732-a-year job."
After a tip from a Virginia collector, who spotted one of the stolen items on eBay, authorities began monitoring Lorello's auctions and executed a search warrant on his home last weekend; they found "hundreds of documents" there, according to the state attorney general's office. Officials believe Lorello has made "tens of thousands" of dollars by selling or exchanging items stolen from the State Library.
A few of the stolen items: the two Davy Crockett almanacs, plus "a signed 1823 letter from former Vice President John Calhoun ... a Winfield Scott Hancock calling card and Currier and Ives colored lithographs."
The Albany Times-Union adds that Lorello, who has worked at the archives since 1979, "oversaw the movement of historic records during renovation of the State Archives," and that authorities believe the thefts occurred beginning in 2002.
"City Court Judge Rachel Kretser released him without bail and advised him to remain in the Albany area. He is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 11.
Lorello declined to comment after he left court and then sprinted away as reporters pursued him outside the courthouse on Morton Avenue.
However, according to a statement authorities say he made, Lorello claimed he started doing it six years ago because he was burdened with bills for things like home renovation, tuition, and his daughter's $10,000 credit card tab.
According to the statement, he said hed come in early when no one was around, and stepped up his pilfering last year when he learned surveillance cameras were going to be installed. He estimates he took 300 to 400 items in 2007 alone, the statement says."
The TU has obtained a copy of Lorello's four-page statement to police [PDF], in which he freely admits the thefts and describes various transactions. I'll have more on that statement after I've read it carefully. [More here]
Oh Mr. Lorello, there's a special place in hell ...
[Some of the news stories: Reuters, AP]
"A long-time state archivist was accused of stealing hundreds of historic artifacts and documents from the New York State Library, including two Davy Crockett Almanacs, and selling some pieces on eBay.
Daniel Lorello, 54, an archives and records management specialist in the state Education Department, was arraigned Monday on charges of third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and first-degree scheme to defraud.
Lorello pleaded not guilty. He was released on his own recognizance and placed on administrative leave from his $71,732-a-year job."
After a tip from a Virginia collector, who spotted one of the stolen items on eBay, authorities began monitoring Lorello's auctions and executed a search warrant on his home last weekend; they found "hundreds of documents" there, according to the state attorney general's office. Officials believe Lorello has made "tens of thousands" of dollars by selling or exchanging items stolen from the State Library.
A few of the stolen items: the two Davy Crockett almanacs, plus "a signed 1823 letter from former Vice President John Calhoun ... a Winfield Scott Hancock calling card and Currier and Ives colored lithographs."
The Albany Times-Union adds that Lorello, who has worked at the archives since 1979, "oversaw the movement of historic records during renovation of the State Archives," and that authorities believe the thefts occurred beginning in 2002.
"City Court Judge Rachel Kretser released him without bail and advised him to remain in the Albany area. He is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 11.
Lorello declined to comment after he left court and then sprinted away as reporters pursued him outside the courthouse on Morton Avenue.
However, according to a statement authorities say he made, Lorello claimed he started doing it six years ago because he was burdened with bills for things like home renovation, tuition, and his daughter's $10,000 credit card tab.
According to the statement, he said hed come in early when no one was around, and stepped up his pilfering last year when he learned surveillance cameras were going to be installed. He estimates he took 300 to 400 items in 2007 alone, the statement says."
The TU has obtained a copy of Lorello's four-page statement to police [PDF], in which he freely admits the thefts and describes various transactions. I'll have more on that statement after I've read it carefully. [More here]
Oh Mr. Lorello, there's a special place in hell ...
[Some of the news stories: Reuters, AP]
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