Created in spring 2023 by the students in Honors 390B, this exhibit explores the life, activities, and trial of Stephen C. Blumberg, known as "The Book Bandit," and considered the most successful book thief in the history of the United States. A part of the more than 23,000 books Blumberg stole reside here at Creighton University, thanks to Creighton librarians volunteering many hours to help the FBI field office in Omaha identify and return stolen books.
Using Blumberg's life story as an entry point, this exhibit also highlights the history of books and libraries as well as questions about access to them. It describes features that help determine a book's rarity and value, offers an overview of book theft, and highlights some legal and scientific questions about book theft and obsessive book collecting.
