They are the protectors of 160,000 books. They roam the aisles of the library in an effort to make sure students are kept safe. They are­— BYU-Idaho Library Security Officers.

For most students, all they see of library security is students sitting at the desks located near the public entrances to the David O. McKay Library. “It seems like they have a pretty laidback job,” said Karrie Lunt, a freshman from Mesa, Ariz.

“To provide a quality library, you have to keep it secure,” Capt. Garth Gunderson, director of the BYU-Idaho Division of the Rexburg Police, said.

Part of keeping the library secure Gunderson said is making sure books don’t leave without being properly checked out. He said that is the primary job of the library security officers.

Security wasn’t always as tight as it is today.

Gunderson said seven years ago a man removed and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of books from the library because he didn’t like the way they portrayed the Vietnam War.

Shortly after that incident, Gunderson said security measures were put into place to keep the same thing from happening again.

Today, security officers are posted at the two public entrances to the McKay Library. They monitor the security gates that sound an alarm whenever someone tries to leave the library without properly checking-out a book.

“There are millions of dollars worth of books and historical items in the library,” said Sgt. Doug Barker, of campus police. “What good are the gates if there is no one to monitor them?”

Katie Smith, a junior from Idaho Falls, and a library security officer, said just having the security officers at entrances serves as a deterrent. “People know we will stop them,” she said.

The security gates can go off for other reasons too, Barker said. Things such as cell phones and recently used laptop computers can also set off an alarm.

Every time the alarm sounds, security officers like Mike Kitchens, a senior from Fredericksburg, Va., must record the event and make sure there are no unauthorized items leaving the building.

In addition to the two security officers at the entrances, there is at least one member of library security patrolling the entire building from the third floor to the basement at all times, Barker said.

“Library security officers, also assist campus police by reporting crime and other hazardous situations,” Gunderson said.

Barker feels the McKay Library is a place where students can go and feel safe on campus. He attributes the low amount of misconduct inside to the service the library security officers perform.

“These students are the eyes and ears of campus security,” Barker said. “We have a great place here because of these students.”