The days leading up to finals are among the busiest of the semester at Snell Library, and there are some tips and resources for students studying there to make sure their personal belongings are secure and nothing is left unattended.

University Libraries officials and the NUPD say they often notice students’ personal belongings left unattended on desks, tables, chairs, and elsewhere. For example, NUPD posted this Instagram photo taken in Curry Student Center earlier this semester.

“When it comes to theft of personal property, 100 percent of larcenies at the library result from leaving property unattended,” said NUPD Sgt. Det. Adam Keeling.

This push for increased awareness on this issue comes ahead of finals period; Reading Day is on Thursday and finals for undergraduates begin Friday. Snell Library typically experiences an increase in visitors in the days leading up to the finals period. Last fall, the three days prior to Reading Day were among the busiest of the semester for library traffic—there were about 13,000 daily Husky card entries on those days last year, compared to a daily average of about 8,000 in the first three months of the semester.

“We’ll have a lot more traffic in the library over the next week,” said Debra Mandel, University Libraries’ acting associate dean for user services. “We’re working closely with NUPD to take proactive measures to increase awareness about personal property safety.”

Below are resources and tips on personal property safety:

Table tents and bookmarks featuring the following tips will also be distributed at Snell Library:
•    When studying alone, use a laptop lock or keep belongings with you at all times.
•    Sleepy? Secure belongings to your body first.
•    In for a long study session? Bring a buddy. Don’t ask a stranger to watch your things.

Spreading the word
Steps to increase awareness also include increased messaging on library video boards as well as on social media:

Snell Library
Twitter: @clubsnell
Facebook: facebook.com/SnellLibrary
Instagram: @clubsnell

NUPD
Twitter: @northeasternpd
Facebook: facebook.com/northeasternpd
Instagram: @nupd
YouTube: youtube.com/northeasternpd

Information tables at Snell Library
NUPD will host information tables all week in the Snell Library lobby to educate students on a range of crime prevention topics, including its free service to register laptops. The process takes about five minutes and involves attaching a small security plate to the device that if removed would reveal a “Stolen Property” logo. Students can find out more information about this free service on the NUPD website or by calling 617.373.5939 to set up an appointment.

“We want to provide students with information that will be beneficial to their personal safety and keeping their belongings secure,” said NUPD Crime Prevention Officer John Farrell.

This week, NUPD will also continue promoting its off-campus personal safety escort service, for which ridership and demand is growing. Students who live within 1.5 miles of campus can utilize the service, which runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. During finals, the frequency of service increases to every 20 minutes between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Here’s a Quick Heads Up
NUPD regularly posts “Quick Heads Up” YouTube videos featuring safety tips. These are two recent videos:

Smart napping

Cell phone safety

Here’s what to do if you lost your stuff in Snell Library
First, students should visit the Help and Information Desk on the first floor of Snell Library to see if the item has been brought to lost and found. If it’s not there, then contact the NUPD non-emergency line at 617.373.2121.