The Stolen Book: Communication Significance Beyond the Criminal Act

The research is an attempt to be made a reassessment of the phenomenon „theft of book“ in the foreshortening of the information-communication treatments, the theory of the feedback and the reflexive model of the communication. The theft of book is rationalized as reader’s reflexion and as a specific social resonance towards it. The research thesis is, that it is accumulated a critical mass of circomstances for liberation of the attitude towards the stolen book as a communication phenomenon and for its emancipation on the field of maketing and advertising. Based on retrospective document and discourse analysis are searched proofs about the positive connotation of the phenomenon „theft of book“ in the context of the concept of the book as a medium. In order to be revealed as objectively as possible the communication energetics of the act of the theft of book, the authors set aside from the criminal aspect of the phenomenon. The present text excludes from the subject of the research interest the crime theft, and also any action, causing material damage. The empirical examination the the thesis is accomplished through the method of the anonimous inquiry survey about the attitude towards the stolen book. The consultation was done twice – in 2013 and in 2016 among commonly 283 respondents, which represent widest range of active readers. The research supports and summarizes the changes in the mass connotation of the stolen book in the foreshortening of the communicative practice „reading“ and supports the formulation of proposals about relevant tactics and approaches in the marketing and advertising of the books.

Keywords: media studies; theory of reading; model of communication; copyright; marketing; book as media; reader’s feedback; „most stolen book“ index; stealing books; theft of books; library theft