Looking forward to some extra cash from selling back your books? So are thieves.

At the end of every semester, NIU students suffer an increase in the number of stolen textbooks, University Police Lt. Matt Kiederlen said.

“It’s always the same thing,” he said. “People leave their dorm room open or get up and leave for just a minute. It literally only takes five seconds.”

One campus hot spot for textbook theft is the library, Kiederlen said. Though police can identify the circumstances that can lead to textbook theft, they cannot have officers watching everyone or stopping any students carrying textbooks.

“There’s only so much you can do,” Kiederlen said. Once the thief has someone’s book, he or she may be only minutes away from selling it, he added.

University Police received two reports of stolen books Monday and expect to see an increase in the next week.

Police outlined three basic ways to avoid theft: Lock your door, do not leave books in common areas and watch your backpack.

Police recommended students make a unique identifying mark inside the book, such as initials on a particular page. This will help bookstores identify your book if a thief attempts to sell it.

If your books are stolen, police ask that you report it immediately at 753-1212.