Thefts of books from libraries in Western Europe

The article examines the problem of book theft from Western European libraries, in particular the historical background, motives, causes, categories, modern methods of implementation and measures to combat this phenomenon. The consequences of the loss of rare and valuable publications for libraries and scientific communities are analyzed, as well as international initiatives aimed at protecting these cultural values. Individual cases of book theft from national, university and monastic libraries are considered in chronological order from the Middle Ages to the present day. Attention is paid to modern technologies for stealing literature from European libraries and international cooperation in combating these crimes. Recommendations are given on measures to combat book theft from libraries and secure their collections.