2 Sentenced to House Arrest in Long-Running Scheme to Steal Rare Books; The New York Times, June 20, 2020

Michael Levenson, The New York Times; 2 Sentenced to House Arrest in Long-Running Scheme to Steal Rare Books

[Kip Currier: We've been exploring this egregious breach of public trust and abject dereliction of institutional leadership as a case study in the new The Information Professional in the Community graduate course I launched this term.

Glaring and appallingly negligent instances of organizational malfeasance and breach of fiduciary responsibility -- over the course of more than 20 years -- are replete throughout this sordid saga. Much, if not all, of what was perpetrated by the morally-deficient defendants, archivist Gregory Priore and local bookshop owner John Schulman, was foreseeable and preventable by those charged with the duties of safeguarding and shepherding our cultural heritage and scientific treasure. Organizational leaders and Boards should also be held accountable for these kinds of ethical lapses and fiduciary failures that occur on their watches.]

"Patrick Dowd, board chair of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, said the thefts “will forever raise doubts about the security of all future charitable donations, particularly to the Carnegie Library.”"

Sentencing Thursday for two accused in Carnegie Library rare book theft; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 14, 2020

Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Sentencing Thursday for two accused in Carnegie Library rare book theft

"It doesn’t matter that the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh was insured by Traveler’s Insurance, and has received, to date, $6.5 million paid in three separate installments.

“The library will need to work to build its reputation and standing within the community and gain the trust of collectors and patrons,” wrote the appraisal group, Pall Mall Art Advisors. “The long-term effect is actually far greater than the value they may have lost in the tangible assets.”...

In asking for an aggravated sentence, Deputy District Attorney Brian Catanzarite wrote, “The scope, breadth and impact of the crimes perpetrated by John Schulman and Gregory Priore cannot be overstated.

“The devastating financial loss to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh pales in comparison to the irreparable damage that the defendants caused the community.”...

Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University librarian and director at the University of Pittsburgh, urged Judge Bicket to sentence the men to prison to send a message that a crime like theirs has consequences.

“The theft of special collections from any library, but especially from a public library, is an egregious crime against the integrity of the cultural record and against the public good,” she wrote. “It compromises the public trust in cultural institutions and sets a precedent that goes against everything that libraries stand for — unfettered access to information for all, curation and preservation of materials important not just now but for the whole future of humanity, as well as public support for cultural institutions.”"