MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year because of stolen library books, and some of the titles taken most often are surprising.

Libraries are a resource for all of us. They're loaded with books and magazines that we borrow and then return for others to use.

At least that's how it's supposed to work, but the TODAY’S TMJ4 I-Team has discovered that the Milwaukee Public Library may be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each year replacing lost and stolen items, and some of the items replaced most often are baffling.

The Bible is one. That's right. Apparently The Word can't stay on the shelf.

Paula Kiely is the Milwaukee Library Director.

"The fact that people want to read the Bible isn't a terrible thing, but it does surprise me that that is one of the things that would be missing in great quantities," Kiely said. "This problem is not unique to the Milwaukee Public Library. Every library is concerned about keeping its collection intact."

So what else walks off a lot?

Well, Dr Seuss is on the loose. Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham disappear frequently.

Sister Souljah and Harry Potter, Spiderman and Batman are often gone in a flash.

Guess what else is often stolen? Martial arts books. Milwaukee librarians say classic books like To Kill A Mockingbird also disappear frequently.

This year, the library will spend $1.6 million on new and replacement items. Officials don’t keep track of how much of that is spent replacing stolen items, but one employee said it was over $100,000.

More money spent on stolen items means fewer new items for the collection.

The library does use security guards and surveillance cameras. Another thing that the library can do with things that disappear regularly from the collection is add them to reference. That way the books can't be checked out or leave the building at all.

If you leave with unchecked books too often you could end up like Thomas Pilaar of Denver. He spent ten days in prison after stealing 1,400 items from the Denver Library.

A Beloit woman recently spent a few days in jail for an excessive amount of overdue items.

If you have an overdue book, the best thing to do, even if it’s way overdue, is bring it back.

In Milwaukee, the most you’ll ever be charged for an overdue book is $5.