Today I started Libricide : The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century. This led me to think a lot about all of the work I’ve done with libraries building their collections from unneeded donations to partner libraries.

Over the past 11 years, I’ve personally sent over 75,000 volumes (hard to be precise without access to my stats, I suspect the number is much higher) to libraries rebuilding after financial disasters, natural disasters, or regime changes. Almost every volume crossed my desk or passed through my hands.

I’ve sent books to every single continent, including a volume to Antarctica via Jack Child, a faculty member who traveled there every few years on a research project.

No wonder I could never maintain a manicure more than a few days…