photo #6507361

RepostingHOW I DEFEATED THE BOOK BANDITS THAT EMPTIED MY LITTLE LIBRARY: (Los Angeles)Book bandits are the equivalent of someone showing up at a potluck buffet and taking all the food, leaving nothing for other guests. They are not partaking in the shared experience, they’re depriving everyone of a community pleasure. Here are my THREE RECOMMENDATIONS to prevent it from happening. They absolutely work. The bandits never came back after systematically emptying my library of everything as soon as I refilled it several days in a row.1. BLACK OUT THE PRICE BAR CODE on the back of the books. It prevents scanning and resale. Nothing works without a bar/QR code anymore nowadays.2. STAMP THE PAGES SIDE OF THE BOOK. I got my stamp on Amazon, but instead of an address for envelopes I had the custom text read “LITTLE FREE LIBRARY, NEVER SOLD, ALWAYS SHARED”. Used books stores refuse to buy back books from LFLs so the stamp prevents that resale too.3. INSTALL A REAL OR FAKE CAMERA. Fake ones cost $7 for two on Amazon. Real ones with Bluetooth that links to your phone are also available on Amazon for around $25 and you get the added pleasure to see dogs walking and neighbors waving.Three of my neighbors LFL were being targeted as well. I passed on the recommendations and all of the little libraries are happily serving the community again. Please share the recommendations and let’s all continue to share our books with our neighbors and passersby.