First published 2002
Libraries claim to preserve printed materials, yet for five decades American libraries have systematically destroyed hundreds of thousands of historic newspapers. The Library of Congress leads this destruction campaign, discarding original papers and substituting microfilm copies that prove hard to read, strip away color and illustration quality, and degrade over time. Baker conducts thorough investigative research to uncover this hidden scandal. He traces networks of microfilm lobbyists and former CIA operatives who profit from this systematic elimination of archives. Warehouses use guillotine machines to slice up priceless historical documents. Baker makes his case for genuine preservation with such conviction that he empties his own retirement savings to rescue a twenty-ton newspaper collection. His investigation reveals how institutional policies mask the wholesale destruction of America's printed heritage. The book delivers both detailed evidence and passionate argument about what libraries should actually preserve.
Genres: history, politics, non-fiction, investigative-journalism, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: institutional-corruption, investigative-journalism
Setting: America, Library of Congress
Period: 20th-century
370 pages · Paperback · Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group