MANCHESTER, England – A librarian who stole hundreds of rare books to sell on the Internet, including prized 17th-century volumes, was spared jail Wednesday by a judge who warned he had threatened his city’s literary heritage.
Norman Buckley, 44, an assistant at Manchester’s Central Library, pleaded guilty to theft charges in August for stealing more than 450 centuries-old books and documents between January 2005 and March 2006, authorities said. He sold more than 40 works online for a total of $20,000.
Buckley received a 15-month jail sentence, but it was suspended for two years, meaning he won’t be serve any time unless he commits further crimes. He also was ordered to perform community service.
The books included 17th-century editions of works by Geoffrey Chaucer, romantic poet John Donne and historian William Camden. One volume of Donne’s “Elegies” sold for $3,370, prosecutors said.
Police said they are trying to recover the books that were sold. The other books were found carefully indexed at Buckley’s home in Manchester, about 200 miles north of London.
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