One library poacher owes the city $5,658

Houston — The Houston Chroncle is reporting; one look at the Houston Public Library's delinquency records is enough to both buoy and sink the hearts of book-lovers: Borrowers seem to like the printed word so much that they've failed to return 243,102 books since 1999.

In all, 119,558 library patrons have taken 325,000 items from the system since 1999, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of the delinquency database.

The library scofflaws owe city taxpayers nearly $12 million for filching books, CDs, maps, periodicals and even laptops over the last 10 years.

To read more on this story, head to The Houston Chronicle's website: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Library-thieves-owe-Houston-taxpayers-millions-2134855.php