Book Traces was my favorite extra credit event for this course thus far. It was interesting to learn how books were used in such different ways; they were more than just reading tools. People bonded through books, they were gifts, and much more. I hope this movement gains even more success than it already has in such a short period of time. The more people who are aware of these hidden gems that libraries hold, the more books will be found and evaluated. It is so ironic, yet fascinating that there are real life stories embedded within the basic story (the existing book). The technology that exists today easily allows us to really find out the root of what was in the books. It’s exciting, and this could come in handy one day.
I really appreciate the fact that Stauffer took the time and visited Stevenson all the way from Virginia. I believe it would be a great idea for him to continue to travel to other universities, libraries, and etc. to educate people on this. It would be a shame for books to be overlooked and thrown away when there is so much to discover. The success he has thus far already had proves that he is onto something.
Thank you for your enthusiasm! Dr. Stauffer has traveled around the world with this project. I helped him find books at Columbia, NYU, and NYPL.