With an antiquated system of tracking textbooks, Richmond County school officials know they're losing money, but can't say how much or even how many books they have.

About a dozen schools and the school system's textbook warehouse count books by hand and maintain many records on paper, which provides little accountability for where books should be and who is responsible for lost or damaged books.

Some schools hoard books under the current system, causing one school to have too many books while another might be lacking, Warehouse Manager Thaddeus McKinnie said.

"Books are like a delicacy," he said. "They will hide them."

Richmond County is looking to install Destiny Textbook Manager, a Web-based program for tracking and transferring textbooks, to all schools and its warehouse for better inventory maintenance, accountability and financial control.

The program will also create accountability for students who lose or damage books by tying specific books to them.

The same software is already being used successfully in Columbia and Aiken counties, officials there said.

"Textbooks are now a high priced commodity," said Mike Lindsey, Columbia County's director of middle school student learning. "We feel that our textbook losses aren't as great now."

Columbia County has 149,940 student textbooks and if each costs at least $50, that comes to $7.5 million, he said.

"With this much money attributed to one resource, you can understand why we consider the automated system a necessity," he said.

Aiken County began using Destiny this year as part of a statewide phased implementation. In South Carolina, the state owns textbooks and lends them to local school systems, but in Georgia local school systems own the books.

If a book is lost, it makes it efficient to determine who owes money and how much is owed, North Augusta High School Assistant Principal John Murphy said.

"Lost textbook charges can be significant -- a huge financial hurdle," he said, adding that a school must cover the cost if it can't recoup the money from a student.

A large high school could find itself owing $35,000 in fees, said Jim White, who oversees the program for South Carolina Department of Education. And the fees often don't cover the cost of replacing the book.

Lost and damaged textbooks cost South Carolina taxpayers $3 million to $5 million each year, Dr. White said. Destiny is hoped to ensure every student has a textbook, increase accountability and cut back on losses.

Implementation in Richmond County is estimated to cost about $130,000.

Funding could come from sales tax dollars. An advisory committee that oversees the expenditures of special purpose local-option sales tax revenue will consider the program when it meets later this month.