When Dan McClellan checked out two-dozen books from the Harold B. Lee Library, he was only concerned with finding the information he needed for an important research paper.

The first week, he used a highlighter to mark the information he needed. To him, it was no big deal. After all, there were other markings in the books, as well as some creases and turned-down corners. McClellan's wife thought otherwise, and told him it was illegal. McClellan stopped, but he had already marked chapters in five of the books.

Soon after he returned the books, McClellan, 27, an ancient Near Eastern studies major from Dallas, found himself in the library security office facing a class C misdemeanor for book mutilation.

"I was told that they were going to start pursuing these cases criminally instead of civilly," said McClellan, who said he was told security was starting to crack down and take these cases more seriously.

Like McClellan, many students have damaged library books, and not all of them know the policies and procedures that could affect them.

"We have damaged books come in every day," said Kurt Madsen, an English language major from Bay City, Texas, and library security guard. The 23-year-old added that while the problem was not excessive, security was starting to take these situations more seriously.

When books are returned to the library, a security officer checks each one for damage before turning them over to circulation for reshelving. Any book that is damaged is held at security and the person who checked it out is contacted.

Sgt. Matt Andrus, security supervisor over the library, said each situation they deal with is treated on a case-by-case basis.

"We have procedures that we follow, and those procedures are actually very, very lenient," Andrus said. He said the biggest factors in book defacement are if the damage was intentional and the value of the book.

Andrus said it has been about seven months since the last citation was issued, but the policy has always been the same, contrary to what McClellan said he was told.

Roger Layton, communications manager for the library, agreed with Andrus.

"The policy has been the same as long as any of us can remember," Layton said.

Layton explained the policies are there to help students rather than merely punish.

"Students don't realize they are impacting the faculty and other students," he said. "If you deface a book in the library, that is a book that would have been in the library for years, and people were going to keep using it, and people were counting on it."

Both Layton and Andrus said the struggle of library personnel is to strike a balance between protecting the books and making books easily accessible to students.

"The library doesn't make an issue of it," Layton said. "But at the same time, we want to get the word out that we want to preserve our collection."

To McClellan, though, the library's handling of his situation is anything but lenient and fair.

"I was shocked that this is how they are dealing with it," McClellan said. He said the honor code officer he spoke to was also amazed the library would press criminal charges for minor highlighting.

At first, McClellan was ready to just pay the fine and let the issue drop, but now he wants his situation known.

This change comes in the wake of the library security's decision to charge $370 for book replacement. The library personnel, however, has told McClellan they will not replace the books, he said.

After court fees, McClellan could possibly pay approximately $700 in fines.

As a married student, McClellan just can't afford the fines, he said.

"I would have bought the books," he said, "but they never gave me that option."

The library also has been counting the books as unreturned and charging additional late fees, but McClellan said he has been told those fines will be cleared shortly.

Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Aug 2007