[MSN] New Zealand. Massey releases rare books details. Details of the rare books stolen from Massey University have been released by librarian John Redmayne.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Tuesday, 10 Apr 2007  

Massey releases rare books details 

Details of the rare books stolen from Massey University have been released
by librarian John Redmayne. Seven books feature on the list with a realised
value of $25,110, but Mr Redmayne said Massey had since removed one because
it could not prove that the copy belonged to the university. 

In all, Massey lost 19 books, valued at about $40,000, but only six, worth
$23,310, were involved in charges brought against its former New Zealand and
Pacific librarian Karen Dale Churton, 48, who was sentenced to 11 months'
imprisonment on April 2. An appeal has since been lodged against the
sentence. An application for bail was disallowed. 

"Karen told police that Maori Art (a book by "Hamilton" that sold for $1800)
was a personal copy and not stolen from Massey," said Mr Redmayne. "There is
a copy on the shelves in the Bagnall Collection and we cannot prove we had a
second copy." 

The six other books on the police "Massey List" were : 

A book on missionary voyages in the South Pacific compiled from journals of
officers and missionaries aboard the ships involved, valued at $1000. The
author or editor was unknown, but the volume was titled A Missionary Voyage
to the Southern Pacific Ocean, performed in the years 1796, 1797, 1798, in
the ship Duff commanded by Captain James Wilson. 

The Art Album of New Zealand Flora, by Mr and Mrs Edward H. Featon, was sold
for $800. 

An Elementary Manual of New Zealand Entomology: Being an introduction to the
Study of our Native Insects, by G. V. Hudson, sold for $110. 

A set of three books by Joseph Dalton Hooker. The Botany of the Antarctic
Voyage of HM Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the years 1839-1843 under
the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, Kt, RN, FRS. Parts 1 and 2.
This volume sold at auction for $9000. 

Part 3, dealing with the flora of Tasmania, sold for $7000. The final book,
on "Flora Novae-Zelandiae", realised $5400. 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/