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OcelotWolf t1_is1hnjy wrote

Can anyone give me a single reason to patronize Caliban after the owner robbed $8M worth of irreplaceable books from the Carnegie Library and escaped with only 4 years of house arrest, 12 years of probation, and $55,000 in damages?

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MaryOutside t1_is1p02u wrote

The woman who is running Caliban now is a fixture in the Pittsburgh small press world and is a trained librarian. She's fantastic and is not going to fence any library material. She runs Karen's Book Row through the Caliban space and her taste is just fantastic. Shulman, the thief and scoundrel, curse upon his name, and his wife who sold the Oliver Room material that Priore stole from the collection he was in charge of, are still able to own the business but the 2018 court ruling disallows them from receiving any profit from the store. So I feel like the choice is kind of up to you.

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NSlocal t1_is1y828 wrote

Thanks, I had not known the details of how the store was able to remain.

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Azious t1_is2n43y wrote

I didn't know any of this... Thank you all.

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angry_eccentric t1_is42xip wrote

here to recommend karen's book row as well, she is wonderful and truly loves books

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Watchyousuffer t1_is530wz wrote

Feel bad for her then, but Shulman needs to sell. The money should go to the library too. I can't bring myself to go there with him involved, which is a shame because I've seen several things I'd like on their eBay account (which is under a different name)

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iateapietod t1_ispdd9c wrote

Hi, I'm not doubting you at all but before visiting Caliban would like some verification ("trust but verify" as its said) - do you have any sources you could provide about this setup?

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MaryOutside t1_isphtd5 wrote

Here's a Post-Gazette article from 2018, let me know if you hit the paywall.

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iateapietod t1_ispwhd7 wrote

I did in fact hit the paywall, thanks for responding!

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MaryOutside t1_isq0afz wrote

Caliban Book Shop co-owner John Schulman, right, arrives with his attorney Robert Del Greco Jr., for his arraignment at City Court on Friday July 20, 2018 in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Judge forbids profits but lets Caliban Book Shop owner, charged in Carnegie Library theft, pay store's bills

An Allegheny County prosecutor on Thursday argued to a judge that Caliban Book Shop in Oakland ought to be shut down so that its owner, charged with participating in a conspiracy to steal hundreds of rare books, maps and plates from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and then selling them through his store and warehouse, cannot profit from his crime.

“It essentially was a criminal enterprise that allowed this crime to happen,” said Assistant District Attorney Aaron McKendry.

He asked Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning to keep two business bank accounts, operated by Caliban co-owner John Schulman, frozen, which could effectively shut down the store.

The DA’s office froze the accounts last month while the case against Mr. Schulman proceeds, prompting his attorneys to try to have the order vacated.

The judge Thursday found the prosecution’s request too burdensome and instead said the shop can continue to operate.

Judge Manning ruled that Mr. Schulman can have access to the accounts to ensure that his employees and the store’s utilities and rent are paid. Neither Mr. Schulman nor his wife, co-owner Emily Hetzel, however, can receive money from them, Judge Manning said.

“No one is permitted to make a profit,” the judge said.

Attorneys fees may also be released from the account.

Mr. Schulman, 54, of Squirrel Hill, is charged in the case along with Greg Priore, 61, of Oakland. Mr. Priore worked as the sole archivist and manager of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s rare book room.

Investigators with the district attorney’s office said that Mr. Priore would remove items from the Oliver Room and give them to Mr. Schulman, who would then sell them online and at book fairs.

The criminal complaint in the case said that the scheme began in the late 1990s and continued until December 2016. It is estimated that more than 300 items valued at $8 million were removed from the library.

About $1.1 million worth of the missing items have been recovered.

A preliminary hearing is expected in the case for Oct. 12.

During his argument, Mr. McKendry said the investigation into the thefts and sales is ongoing.

“The very employees we’re talking about worked in the warehouse. These are not innocent people,” he said. “These are people working for a criminal enterprise.

“Mr. Schulman corrupted his own business.”

But Albert Veverka, an attorney for Mr. Schulman, countered that no allegations have been brought against any employees, and further, that Caliban sold other items in its store and warehouse unrelated to the library thefts.

“To punish all of these people for the entirety of his business for what may be a small part is unfair,” the defense attorney said. “These are mere allegations, your honor. There’s been no proof.”

Mr. McKendry countered, “This business gets to profit after they’ve robbed part of our cultural heritage. I don’t think the book shop’s loss compares to that loss to society.”

Paula Reed Ward: pward@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2620 or on Twitter: u/PaulaReedWard.

First Published August 2, 2018, 2:07pm

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NSlocal t1_is1i627 wrote

I can't. The owner's wife remains at the helm supposedly. How can she not have known after a decade of illegal activity?

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OcelotWolf t1_is1it29 wrote

Supposedly they’re allowed to pay bills on behalf of the store but can’t personally profit from it. I get not wanting to shut the store down entirely but I still don’t trust them. They should have been forced to sell and I will never step foot in that store for as long as they’re involved, and probably a little while after that too.

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Moogottrrgr t1_is1lkmk wrote

They were nasty shits BEFORE what they were doing came to light. I haven't stepped through their doors since the 20th century because of how they treated people.

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NSlocal t1_is1lvwm wrote

The storefront maintains a high profile presence a stone's throw from the institution that was robbed blind of irreplaceable items, it's a slap in the face. John was not a good person, he'd step over his dead mother for a 1st edition book.

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Character-Vast-8601 t1_is3o9xt wrote

How do you steal irreplaceable books from the library? Do you just walk in and put the books in your bag and walk out like nothing happened?

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OcelotWolf t1_is3vw9b wrote

In this case, be the archivist in charge of taking care of them and then walk out with them because you have authority

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phasmos t1_is4mmlz wrote

Not just the books... IIRC, the guy was also razoring individual pages out of ancient or medieval texts and selling them off piecemeal.

I used to wait on Priore now and then at a local store. He struck me as a slimeball even before this hit the news.

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NSlocal t1_is5ff1c wrote

The William Oliver room is a special collections room in an off-limits area of the library's stacks. People wanting to do research there must apply and make an appointment. They'd then be escorted by security to the locked door where Greg Priore would greet them. Greg would oversee the visits and of course the collection itself as there are many items that are valuable or rare or both. Greg was untouchable for many years and I think he was trusted too much. He and John from Caliban began selling items in addition to cannibalizing books for individual pages, they're horrible people. The room was under no surveillance, only Greg and security had a key to the room.

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