Dark secrets of stealing rare books

Theft of books has occurred for centuries, but cultural institutions don't always want to talk about it. We speak with collection managers who protect some of our most valuable artefacts.
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Book theft has a long history. Image: Lucas Souza, via Pexels

Although there are films and books dedicated to the theft of rare items from cultural institutions – think The Map Thief  and American Animals – it’s not often that we hear about theft from our cultural institutions. Whether it’s at the National Library of Australia or Museums Victoria, a lot of quiet work is being done by keepers of our most precious books to ensure they are not taken.

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