History of Book Theft

Book theft is a phenomenon that has been around almost as long as the book itself, and has a varied history. The perpetrators come from all walks of life; some are mere common criminals, but others are those expected to protect the books the most. Book theft is often, but not always, an “inside job.” The perpetrators are also motivated by many different factors.
Some biblioklepts steal to safeguard the books for themselves, others steal for profit. Blumberg was not the first successful biblioklept and he will not be the last. This timeline details some of the most infamous book thefts in history, both predecessors and successors of Blumberg. (For more information, see Works Cited)