ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512180085
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE THEFT of maps and prints at the Alderman Library occurred about the time the FBI announced it is searching for a man suspected of vandalizing rare books in college libraries across the country.
Maps and prints from three 17th-century books in the University of Virginia's rare-book collection have been stolen, officials said.
The stolen goods, which are in demand on the black market, were sliced out of books with pages that measure about 9 by 12 inches, said Michael Plunkett, director of special collections at UVa.
``They're beautiful maps. They're art works. They can be framed,'' Plunkett said Friday.
UVa police said one page was taken from each of the three books, and the pages have a reported value of about $5,000.
The theft occurred at the Alderman Library last week about the time the FBI announced it is searching for a man suspected of vandalizing rare books in college libraries across the country for the past 18 months.
A list left behind at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore tipped the FBI to search for Gilbert Joseph Bland Jr., who also used the name James Perry, officials said.
Bland, 45, who describes himself as a graduate student, was caught last week at a Johns Hopkins library slicing a map from a book dating to the 1700s. Police let him go after he paid to repair the book.
In a bag Bland left behind, university officials found 12 other maps that had been removed from 18th-century books, along with a list of libraries including those at UVa; Duke University in Durham, N.C.; and Brown University in Providence, R.I.
Plunkett said he had not yet determined how many maps and prints were cut from the three books dealing with American history. The maps and prints depict the North American continent.
He said he began to search through the collection after being alerted by colleagues that there might be a problem. Plunkett said a suspect was seen at the library Dec. 5 and 6.
Plunkett said the suspect signed his name to gain access to the special collection. Plunkett declined to disclose the name.
UVa police contacted the FBI about the theft, said Cheri Brown, a UVa police spokeswoman. She said no one has been arrested.
Bland is suspected of ripping pages last week from three books at the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Those books are said to be worth $3,900, and one dates to the 17th century.
He showed a University of Florida photo identification to gain access, said Charles McNamara, the library's rare-books curator. A records search failed to find any students named James Perry at the university in Gainesville.
Bland also is suspected of taking two maps from a pair of books housed at the North Carolina collection. Each book is valued at about $2,500.
Curators at Duke's Special Collections Library believe Bland damaged 16 of its rare books, some of which are more than 300 years old.
Bland is believed to have used the name Perry at seven Eastern and Midwestern university libraries. Most reported damaged books.
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