Welsh Assembly member Chris Franks said he was "staggered" to read a report that £600,000 worth of library books have been stolen in the Principality in the last two years.
The report found more than 100,000 library books had been stolen or not returned, with losses in Wales' biggest, Cardiff, alone running at £1,000 a week.
Mr Franks wrote to all local authorities to ask for figures from their library services.
Some councils also revealed those authors whose books were most popular with thieves, or which were borrowed and not returned.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, they tallied with best-sellers such as Harry Potter author JK Rowling, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Wilson.
Missing Library Books
- Bridgend - 2,529
- Caerphilly - 5,719
- Cardiff - 9,762
- Carmarthenshire - 300
- Ceredigion - no numbers, est cost £10-£15,000
- Conwy - 3,177
- Denbighshire - 1,437
- Flintshire - 1.833
- Gwynedd - 2,145
- Neath Port Talbot - 1,881
- Newport - 3,005
- Powys - 3,053
- Rhondda Cynon Taf - 9,828
- Swansea - 10,427
- Torfaen 6,591 (inc 2006-2007 figure)
- Wrexham - 1,644
I guess this just goes to prove Taffy may well be a thief, but he sure as hell ain't illiterate! 
