Library Thefts

bbuzz

Apparently there were about 5 laptops stolen from the JJ library today.

Hope they catch whoever did it, must have some good CCTV footage.

Anyway in the mean time, I recommend these:
http://www.kensington.com/kensington/en/ie/p/1638/K64560EU/combosaver%C2%AE-combination-portable-laptop-lock.aspx

You can get them for about €20 in PC World.

Mycroft H

Why leave your laptop unattended? Its a valuable item so its rather just common sense to keep it on your person.

Davidius

On the plus side the fear of theft might stop people from hogging plugs when they're not using them.

kkdela6

Reckless behaviour altogether. Do ya reckon it was UCD students behind the thefts or maybe stolen student cards being used to enter?

Mycroft H

I'd imagine its the former. Out of 22,000 students there is going to be few bad eggs.

Conor108

Hopefully LibroCop is on the case and hunting the perps down as we speak

jan shyr

It is common sense to take your laptop or other valuables with you or leave it with someone you know in the library. After all, we are not in Japan.

[Jackass]

I ALWAYS leave my laptop at my desk, especially around exam time, I've even been known to leave my stuff in the library (laptop etc.) and go to a lecture.

Mainly because decent seats are so hard to find and about 10% have plugs, if even, and my laptop can go about 30 minutes without a charge (old and piece of crap to begin with).

I'm very very surprised that anyone would steal them, considering CCTV and you're logged going in and out, all it takes in one person to identify someone who took the laptop, check for them on camera, and check their card as they went in / out of library.

If it was a student they will 100% be caught, without question. If it was a lost or stolen card then maybe not. But I can bank that they will find the person on camera no problem, even if laptop was taken off camera, a description and their movements will be tracked / found, and they will find the card they used to come in / out, as entrance / exit is on camera.

I feel I would notice if someone left their stuff and someone else came over and stuffed it into their bag and walked away.

I seriously doubt it was a student, you'd want to be awful awful stupid to do that.

One thing is for sure though, Libro Cop will not sleep until they feel the full brunt of libro justice.

Mycroft H

[Jackass] wrote: »

I ALWAYS leave my laptop at my desk, especially around exam time, I've even been known to leave my stuff in the library (laptop etc.) and go to a lecture.

I hope your trolling cos there is so much wrong with that opening sentence.

errlloyd

BX 19 wrote: »

I hope your trolling cos there is so much wrong with that opening sentence.

I do pretty often too. Law section though, most people near me know me I do feel they're atleast half keeping an eye on my stuff.

I'd take breaks or go to lectures with my laptop plugged in, probably not so bad because I usually bring in some sort of multiplug or 4way strip so I am not hogging plugs.

Chucky the tree

errlloyd wrote: »

I do pretty often too. Law section though, most people near me know me I do feel they're atleast half keeping an eye on my stuff.

I'd take breaks or go to lectures with my laptop plugged in, probably not so bad because I usually bring in some sort of multiplug or 4way strip so I am not hogging plugs.

Pretty sure he's referring to the fact that leaving your stuff there for that long and depriving someone else of a seat is **** thing to do.

[Jackass]

It is, I agree, but take a stroll around the first floor library, especially all the "good" seats at the front, and most of the time 100% are taken, about 50% have people sitting there, and maybe 10% actually studying....so I don't stroll around like a shmuck anymore for 30 minutes trying to find a plug...i get a desk, i hog it for the entire day, as do so many people...can't beat em, and all that...

HavingCrack

I don't have to go library anymore ever since we got a common room .

Meow_Meow

This whole thing of wandering away for lunch and 'reserving' your place is just so damn ignorant. It really pisses me off when people do this with the computers on the engineering floor of the library too- at this stage, if a seat is empty and someone has their work open on it and pens etc (to 'mark' it as theirs), I log out from their account and work away on my own stuff. 9 times out of 10 they won't be back before I'm finished.

SemiMental

I dont see the problem with people going away for lunch and leaving their work there, as long as its not taking the piss.
During the exam period I would leave my laptop and work at the desk and head off for a half hour lunch. Im usually in before 9am (to make sure I get a socket!) and will be there until near closing time during the exams, I cant be expected to stay at the desk every minute of the day! I dont feel I should have to move all my stuff, just so some chap who wandered in at 2pm can take the spot while I head off to get some food.
If I knew I was going to be away for more than an hour, I would take my stuff with me, as I know other people will be looking to use the desk.

I never really worry about my laptop being stolen, as I usually have a few friends sitting close by if im away and it is a pile of junk at this stage anyway! I may invest in one of those locks now though as so many thefts have occured.

kkumk

SemiMental wrote: »

I dont see the problem with people going away for lunch and leaving their work there, as long as its not taking the piss.
During the exam period I would leave my laptop and work at the desk and head off for a half hour lunch. Im usually in before 9am (to make sure I get a socket!) and will be there until near closing time during the exams, I cant be expected to stay at the desk every minute of the day! I dont feel I should have to move all my stuff, just so some chap who wandered in at 2pm can take the spot while I head off to get some food.
If I knew I was going to be away for more than an hour, I would take my stuff with me, as I know other people will be looking to use the desk.
.

+1! If you're not in before 9am don't complain that you can't get a nice desk during the busy periods! I ensure I'm there at that time (even if it means getting up at 6.30) so I'm not left wandering around, stressing out and complaining about all the people who got in before me.

Topper7

kkumk wrote: »

+1! If you're not in before 9am don't complain that you can't get a nice desk during the busy periods! I ensure I'm there at that time (even if it means getting up at 6.30) so I'm not left wandering around, stressing out and complaining about all the people who got in before me.

+ 2! I used to be the same as other posters here & give out about all the occupied laptop seats but with noone actually sitting at them! Eventually I started gettin up earlier to get a good seat & then I would actually get a good days work done. Id head off for lunch round 12/1 and then again round 5 for tea. I never packed up my stuff. 1/2 d ppl in there would be on FB, youtube etc so dont see anything wrong with it. Of course the whole problem would be solved if there was more plugs in the library or even quiet study rooms with plugs, wifi & printer available in other buildings.

But it sucks fr those who had their laptops robbed. Hope they didnt loose to much work

pljudge321

This thread makes me glad I have my own desk and computer.

griffdaddy

Those Kensington locks are a good idea. You can get cheap versions of them in the 2euro shops for...you guessed it... 2euro. They might not be as tamper proof as the official ones, but at least if someone starts reefing the fudge out of a lock in the middle of the library it's not gonna go unnoticed. Just check that your laptop has a Kensington port first.

Tayto2000

You can't rely on other people to look after your stuff, if the bicycle experience is anything to go by, onlookers are happier to rationalise something like "oh he must have forgotten his key or something" than realise there's a theft going on and do something about it.

Leave the notes, take the laptop if you really have to go somewhere.

griffdaddy

Sometimes it's not always practical to clear up all your stuff though. When I was in UCD I'd often go for a quick smoke or a coffee from 911 and then be back at my desk in about 15-20mins. There's a difference between taking a lock off a bike in an outdoor, sparsely populated area and trying to pull a Kensington off a laptop in a silent library. At the very least it'll make an unlocked laptop seem more appealing to a thief. To be honest, if you're using any kind of ultraportable, like a netbook or macbook air, these locks are fairly essential. I could walk past an unlocked netbook on a desk and probably put it in the pouch of a big hoody and walk out the door without anyone realising.

Snako

Was talking to the Libro Cops, apparently they have busted the culprits guilty of the recent flurry of library thefts,

An organised group apparently, causing diversions by making false claims of thefts and then sneaking laptops under the barrier,

This is by no means official word, or a declaration of the library now being safe, just thought you guys might be interested to hear,

Kensington locks are handy, a deterrent more than a complete prevention, I believe they plan to stock them in the SU shop soon enough,

So lock them, carry them with you, or always sit beside someone with a Mac Book, surely it will be stolen first :P

smunchkins

Actually the thefts are still going on.
Another college has been hit twice now, so they are returning to the same places.
Keep vigilant.

beardedmaster

Postgrad10

That really is shocking . I did my postgrad in UCD and I would never leave my laptop but often people would give me the nod to keep an eye on their laptops if they had to pop to the toilet / get a book . This is definately an eye opener .

ironclaw

If your a Windows User:

http://gadgettrak.com/

Or MacOS:

http://gadgettrak.com/ or http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/mac/ And not forgetting iCloud can track your Mac as well.

Also with Mac you can apply a 'Firmware Password' such that you can't just simply wipe the drive and reinstall the operating system.

Having tested the system in UCD myself, it actually does work very well. The Orbicule one is superb. I also have placed security stickers inside my Mac and my iPhone, so on the off chance they are ever opened for repair, someone might check if they are stolen (http://www.i-trak.com/home.aspx)

Obviously you still stand a slim chance of getting you laptop back, but having a picture, location and possibly a lead is better than an empty desk.

golfcruiser

If you're not in early at exam time, you don't get a plug. It's the same with the parking situation all year round. It's hard to blame someone for leaving their laptop unattened if going to a prinet etc. But I've started taking mine with me at lunch time since the robberies started. It's strange how they began in the mid-term break period in March, when you would think it would be easier to catch the culprits due to the library not being as busy as usual.

GobBass

I still think the culprits should be thrown into the lake. Then the monster beneath will decide their fate...by monster I mean the killer swans of course.

[Jackass]

Snako wrote: »

Was talking to the Libro Cops, apparently they have busted the culprits guilty of the recent flurry of library thefts,

An organised group apparently, causing diversions by making false claims of thefts and then sneaking laptops under the barrier,

This is by no means official word, or a declaration of the library now being safe, just thought you guys might be interested to hear,

Kensington locks are handy, a deterrent more than a complete prevention, I believe they plan to stock them in the SU shop soon enough,

So lock them, carry them with you, or always sit beside someone with a Mac Book, surely it will be stolen first :P

Any idea how they access the library? If they were talking to security and coming in and out they must be students?

How the fu*k can you not police a library though in fairness....they need more cameras...

Einhard

When I was last in UCD a few years back, LibroCop and his minions used go around at busy periods and pop a notice on desks with pens and notes but no student. If, in half an hour, the desk was still without a student, Libro Cop et al would remove notes and pens and open the desk for others.

Does that not happen anymore?

the_syco

How easy is it to tailgate into the library, or does everyone have to show their ID? I'm thinking at how easy it would for someone to walk in, swipe a laptop, and fence it off to pay for the months rent and have cash left over for some drink if ID's aren't checked.

As this sounds to be the case!

psychward

the_syco wrote: »

How easy is it to tailgate into the library, or does everyone have to show their ID? I'm thinking at how easy it would for someone to walk in, swipe a laptop, and fence it off to pay for the months rent and have cash left over for some drink if ID's aren't checked.

As this sounds to be the case!

Not easy for James Joyce Library I would think unless you are using someone elses lost or stolen card. However if you had the student ID and personal details of a student and also looked a lot like them in their ID photo or could change your appearance I'd say it would be possible in theory to con your way in with identity theft using the I forgot my card today excuse. But this would also mean you drawing attention to yourself. It would be pretty sad if some of the most educated and advantaged in the country were thieves. I thought it was only those who will become politicians who we had to worry about...



Anyone know if those Kensington locks are easily cut ? They look weaker than cheap bicycle locks to me.

ironclaw

Not easy for James Joyce Library I would think unless you are using someone elses lost or stolen card.

When was the last time you saw a face being matched the card? They aren't. So if you have a stolen card, you can easily get in and out. Tail gating isn't possible as the turnstiles rotate only once. Adding to that the fact you can clone the barcodes (Its a standard barcode format) and you can very easily defeat the system. I tried it with a piece of paper and my own student number, worked perfectly.

Anyone know if those Kensington locks are easily cut ? They look weaker than cheap bicycle locks to me.

Knife though butter, but you'd attract a lot of attention doing it. They are a deterrent and nothing more. If someone wants your laptop, they'll get it. Its kinda like having a high wall on your house, your hoping the robber will move on to an easier target.

Laptop theft is a decent game because if you get one laptop out, you could be up €500+ For a prosecution you have to actually prove they intended to steal your laptop. A decent lawyer could argue if someone walked out with it, they could have mistaken ownership and intended to return it. Thats why I always put stickers on my laptop, so you can instantly know its unique.

Karpops

One thing I kind of take comfort in is the fact that everyone in the Library has a much nicer and more expensive laptop than me. I don't think anyone would ever bother taking mine. There is an upside to not having nice things :-D

psychward

Karpops wrote: »

One thing I kind of take comfort in is the fact that everyone in the Library has a much nicer and more expensive laptop than me. I don't think anyone would ever bother taking mine. There is an upside to not having nice things :-D

Same here but I cant take the risk of losing priceless months of work due to a criminal being stupid enough to choose my bargain basement netbook over someone elses top of the range mac so I just take it with me whenever I go but leave the cables on the desk. I can never justify leaving a desk abandoned for hours like some pathetic ignoramuses do especially since free time is a luxury towards exam time but 20 minutes for a coffee and a bathroom break seems reasonable.

HavingCrack

psychward wrote: »

Same here but I cant take the risk of losing priceless months of work due to a criminal being stupid enough to choose my bargain basement netbook over someone elses top of the range mac so I just take it with me whenever I go but leave the cables on the desk. I can never justify leaving a desk abandoned for hours like some pathetic ignoramuses do especially since free time is a luxury towards exam time but 20 minutes for a coffee and a bathroom break seems reasonable.

Get yourself an external hard drive and back up every night, it's well worth the money. Even a memory stick is handy, they hold a suprising amount of data.

Raphael

Or do your collegework in a Dropbox* folder, and it'll automatically copy everything you do to their servers. Provides a gig of storage free, which is more than enough to keep all your college stuff on.

*this is a referral link - signing up to the service from here gives both you and me more 250MB more storage.