Information hunters : when librarians, soldiers, and spies banded together in World War II Europe
(Book)
Author
Published
New York, NY, United States of America : Oxford University Press, [2020].
Status
Central - Adult Nonfiction
940.5486 PEISS
2 available
940.5486 PEISS
2 available
Glencarlyn - Adult Nonfiction
940.5486 PEISS
1 available
940.5486 PEISS
1 available
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Central - Adult Nonfiction | 940.5486 PEISS | Available |
Central - Adult Nonfiction | 940.5486 PEISS | Available |
Glencarlyn - Adult Nonfiction | 940.5486 PEISS | Available |
Description
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More Details
Published
New York, NY, United States of America : Oxford University Press, [2020].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
xi, 277 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-259) and index.
Description
While armies have seized enemy records and rare texts as booty throughout history, it was only during World War II that an unlikely band of librarians, archivists, and scholars traveled abroad to collect books and documents to aid the military cause. Galvanized by the events of war into acquiring and preserving the written word, as well as providing critical information for intelligence purposes, these American civilians set off on missions to gather foreign publications and information across Europe. They journeyed to neutral cities in search of enemy texts, followed a step behind advancing armies to capture records, and seized Nazi works from bookstores and schools. When the war ended, they found looted collections hidden in cellars and caves. Their mission was to document, exploit, preserve, and restitute these works, and even, in the case of Nazi literature, to destroy them. In this fascinating account, cultural historian Kathy Peiss reveals how book and document collecting became part of the new apparatus of intelligence and national security, military planning, and postwar reconstruction. Focusing on the ordinary Americans who carried out these missions, she shows how they made decisions on the ground to acquire sources that would be useful in the war zone as well as on the home front. These collecting missions also boosted the postwar ambitions of American research libraries, offering a chance for them to become great international repositories of scientific reports, literature, and historical sources. Not only did their wartime work have lasting implications for academic institutions, foreign-policy making, and national security, it also led to the development of today's essential information science tools. Illuminating the growing global power of the United States in the realms of intelligence and cultural heritage, Peiss tells the story of the men and women who went to Europe to collect and protect books and information and in doing so enriches the debates over the use of data in times of both war and peace. -- from Amazon.
Subjects
LC Subjects
Acquisitions (Libraries) -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Books -- Europe -- History -- 20th century.
Cultural property -- Protection -- Europe -- History -- 20th century.
Intelligence service -- United States -- Information services.
Librarians -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Library of Congress Mission to Germany.
United States. -- Office of Strategic Services.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Confiscations and contributions -- Europe.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Destruction and pillage -- Europe.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Military intelligence -- United States.
Books -- Europe -- History -- 20th century.
Cultural property -- Protection -- Europe -- History -- 20th century.
Intelligence service -- United States -- Information services.
Librarians -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Library of Congress Mission to Germany.
United States. -- Office of Strategic Services.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Confiscations and contributions -- Europe.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Destruction and pillage -- Europe.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Military intelligence -- United States.
Other Subjects
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Peiss, K. L. (2020). Information hunters: when librarians, soldiers, and spies banded together in World War II Europe . Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Peiss, Kathy Lee. 2020. Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe. Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Peiss, Kathy Lee. Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe Oxford University Press, 2020.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Peiss, Kathy Lee. Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe Oxford University Press, 2020.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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