Stephen Blumberg
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Stephen Carrie Blumberg (born St. Paul, Minnesota) was a schizophrenic bibliomane who lived in Ottumwa, Iowa. He spent most of his early adult life in mental institutions and felt he was trapped in a Victorian Age. He became known as the Book Bandit and was the most successful book thief of the 20th century.
[edit] Personal
He was arrested for stealing more than 20,000 rare, valuable and assorted other books from 140 or more universities in 45 states and Canada. (One report said they were taken from 327 libraries and museums.) Their value was placed at about $20 million, which made it the largest book theft in the country. In July 2003 he was convicted again of a separate but much less noteworthy crime. The collection has been referred to as the "Blumberg Collection."
[edit] Further reading
- Basbanes, Nicholas A. A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. New York: Holt, 1999 ISBN 0-8050-6176-2
