ABSTRACT

Many Americans consider crime to be among the major problems facing the nation. Opinion polls conducted over the last two decades have shown that concern about crime is often as great as concern about war, unemployment, disease, and medical care (Gallup, 1979, 1981). Furthermore, the majority of Americans report that they take some preventive action against being victimized when going out in public (Figgie, 1980). What is there about crime patterns in the United States that has led to this high level of concern? Are these crime patterns very different from those found in other places? We will consider these questions before we turn to a comparison of library crime patterns found in the United States with those found in Canada and Great Britain.