Library's laptops will tattle on those who steal

Library's laptops will tattle on those who steal
by: Sara Shepherd

Yes, some of the Kansas City Public Library’s laptop computers have fallen prey to sticky fingers.

No, the thieves didn’t get away with it — although some probably thought they did until police showed up at their doors with a search warrant.

Each of the library’s 60 laptops, including 25 new ones purchased just for teens, is equipped with technology that basically phones home as soon as a thief tries to get online.

In one case, police traced a stolen laptop to a library employee’s Kansas City home, then learned the woman had stolen four others and given some to relatives in St. Louis.

The library’s computer-tracing software is the same kind used by the Kansas City, Kan., School District, where officials say it has helped retrieve computers and even solved other problems in unexpected ways.

Kansas City is the only area library system that loans laptops to the public. The library bought its first batch in 2005.

To help ensure the costly but easily portable pieces of equipment stayed inside the library, the library added the tracing software about a year and a half ago, said Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner, deputy executive director for operations.

Most laptops that leave the library are taken by forgetful patrons, Kositany-Buckner said. Users walk out with the computer in hand and their library card and photo ID at the checkout desk.

Usually, a phone call to the patron is enough to get those computers back.

The tracing software helps when it’s not that easy.

When they got the library employee’s address from the software company, Kansas City police searched her residence and found one stolen laptop lying on her bed, according to court documents. The woman told detectives she pawned one computer and gave one to a friend, one to her brother and one to her mother in St. Louis.

“We were able to recover them pretty easily,” Kositany-Buckner said. The employee has since been charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with felony theft and no longer works for the library.

The tracing software, called Computrace, is permanently installed on each computer.

When one turns up missing, the library files a report with the Kansas City Police Department then forwards it to the software company.

The company tracks where that computer gets online and turns the Internet protocol address over to police. The company pays up to $1,000 to replace computers it fails to find.

For laptops that contain confidential or sensitive information, the company notes on its Web site, theft can be more costly than the hardware alone.

Between phone calls, tracing software and some pre-software police work, Kositany-Buckner said, “we’ve recovered all of them that we’ve lost so far.” She said those stolen laptops total fewer than 10.

The Kansas City, Kan., School District — which leases take-home laptops to all high school students — has reported 123 stolen laptops to the company since enlisting its services last year, said Joe Fives, director of technology and information services.

Between Computrace and other means, the district has recovered 28 so far, Fives said. The software company has paid the district for another 28 it couldn’t retrieve.

In a few cases, the tracing software has had unintended benefits, Fives said.

When two students’ laptops were taken along with their car in a carjacking, police asked the district to trace the computers in hopes they might lead to the people who stole the car. Guardians have asked the district to help contact students who ran away from home and took their laptops with them.

“We never even thought about them being used that way,” Fives said.

The library deployed its newest laptops in late May.

Five branches — L.H. Bluford, North-East, Southeast, Trails West and Waldo — each received five computers reserved for teen uses like podcasting, test preparation and Web chats with young-adult authors.

Johnson County and Olathe library officials said they plan to offer laptops for patrons later this year, though they still haven’t settled on theft-protection plans.

Jim Staley, marketing and communications manager for Mid-Continent Public Library, said his library has discussed laptops for patrons but hasn’t committed.

“Security is one of the big issues,” he said.

From: the Kansas City Star