Disappearing Ink: The Insider, the FBI, and the Looting of the Kenyon College Library

by Travis McDade

Like many aspiring writers, David Breithaupt had money problems. But what he also had was unsupervised access to one of the finest special collections libraries in the country.

In October 1990 Kenyon College hired David Breithaupt as its library’s part-time evening supervisor. In April 2000 he was fired after a Georgia librarian discovered him selling a letter by Flannery O’Connor on eBay, but that was only the tip of the iceberg: for the past ten years, Breithaupt had been browsing the collection, taking from it whatever rare books, manuscripts, and documents caught his eye—Flannery O'Connor letters, W.H. Auden annotated typescripts, a Thomas Pynchon manuscript, and much, much more. It was a large-scale, long-term pillaging of Kenyon College’s most precious works.

After he was caught, the American justice system looked like it was about to disappoint the college the way it had countless rare book crime victims before—but Kenyon refused to let this happen.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, Books About Books, History, Audiobook

123 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2015

About the author

I am the curator of law rare books at the University of Illinois College of Law. I have been researching rare book crime since about 2004 when I started writing my first book. (It was somewhat misleadingly titled The Book Thief, even though the thief in question stole more than just books. I also would have liked the title to make clear that the point of the narrative was the federal legal procedure that followed the theft, not the theft itself. One of the (many)lessons I learned with that book was that authors have little control over things like the title of their book.)

In 2008, I started teaching a class on rare book crime at Illinois, and have done so, about once a year, since then. I began what became Thieves of Book Row (a title I like, by the way) as part of a chapter in another book. I became so interested in the subject that I simply could not stop researching it.

A short note on the ratings I assign books I read (which a quick look will suggest is generous): I only "rate" books that I can give at least four stars to. That is, I read books (plenty of them) that deserve fewer than four stars - so I simply don't rate them on Goodreads. There is nothing at all wrong with giving one's opinion on a book - positive or negative - but as an author who has books up for review, I feel bad giving other authors negative (or, I guess, even mediocre) ratings. I know what negative ratings feel like.

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, what a tale...what a hapless thief, and, as a book lover myself, what a horrible crime.

[Susan Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love books, use and respect libraries, and like to read true crime, you'll want to take a look at this fascinating story of a criminal whose life-long passion--rare books--lured him into a life of larceny. Professor Travis McDade, the author, is the curator of rare law books at the University of Illinois and a leading expert on the theft of rare books, maps, and manuscripts. He is also a member of the Mystery Writers of America, and his story is told with the consummate skill of an experienced crime-writer.

Disappearing Ink: The Insider, the FBI, and the Looting of the Kenyon College Libraryisn't exactly a thriller (there's no shoot-'em-up and the chase scenes are definitely slo-mo). But it is a detailed, meticulous study of a major crime and the failures of our justice system. I gobbled it down in a day and am reaching right now for another of McDade's books.

[Ronie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bane of all libraries are books sprouting legs. As a Librarian of a rural public library district for over 10 years. The rare books are in the office. A Librarians Copy never to see circulation. I hold new purchases for a year before releasing them to be shelved. We have a kiosk for discarded materials.

And still suffer when a book is no where to be found, on library book selves. I mean works if fiction and scientific proven materials. Where the history has a reference section.

As a patron with out disposable income, a.k.a. student. Scholastic and library book sales provided a bit. I also understand that some libraries have lending policies that have pirates doing as they do. It's the price of doing business. Until you watch an able-bodied adult put a bunch of young adult books in their purse. I love book. This isn't how I see myself having to involve law enforcement. I just let them know, "This library has a book club. Where funds are set aside. As a way to ensure, you can grow your home library!"

This one here...wow...what a narrative

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting listen. The author explains in detail (sometimes too much) how a couple saw an opportunity and took it. They made a lot of money, and never had any. Being always broke and not bright helped them ship and scam around the world.

This is the audible version of American Greed.

[Kym Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in books, libraries, or true crime, you might like reading this book about David Breithaupt and Christa Hupp's criminal enterprise. For nearly ten years, their livelihood was based Breithaupt's pillaging the rare books of Kenyon College's library, with Hupp serving as his eager partner. It would appear they viewed the library's historic treasures as their own, an endless supply of items to sell online to support their standard of living. When they were finally caught, they were far from remorseful, meeting the obvious proof of their crimes with ridiculous lies and evasions.

It's a short book, won't take you long to read, and worth your time.

As a former librarian (though not an academic one), I can see how this crime could happen. While we would all like to believe no one would steal something they might be able to use for free, the reality is there are those who merely see libraries as repositories for items they can take for their own gain.

[Dee Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible Plus 4 hours and 13 min. Narrated by James Patrick Cronin (A)

4.5 stars I added this book recently to my Wish List because of a great review on Goodreads and then found it free on Audible. It was a powerful story of a crime by which both writers and readers should both be outraged. The crime received no publicity, and others like it have been shushed to avoid unfavorable publicity. In 1990, David Breithaupt was hired by Kenyon College in Ohio as its college library's part-time evening supervisor, which led to a ten year plunder of their prestigious Special Collection's works. To David and his ten year older girl friend Krista Huff, their relationship soon came to mean the scattering to all parts of the world of a carefully curated part of the Kenyon Special Collection. David took advantage of his access to treasures like first edition copy of Mark Twain's The Life of Huclegerry Finn, letters of Flannery O'Connor, rare atlases, and anything he could wake the library with. At first, he sold things to friends who didn't ask questions to sell, and frequently, he gave them to friends and family as gifts. When Huff moved in with him, she saw how profitable the rare works could be and made it happen, especially after the web was made available. How much of the library was plundered, what were the consequences for the couple, and what was their attitude after discovery and their actions after the case was resolved will amaze and baffle the mind of anyone who cares about books.

[Peggy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It is the story of a rare book and document thief who worked within the library. It was fascinating and what made the book even better was the fact that it was written by a librarian who completely understood the culture, workings, and nuances of the academic library world. I highly recommend - especially for librarians/archivists.

[John Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books on people who love book so much that they HAVE to steal them.

[Kevin Mckinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

the writing itself isnt anything to write home about but whew what a wild story

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

What started out as promising, soon turned into a boring slog to get through.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of a part-time employee who systematically looted a college library. Over the course of ten years, he and his girlfriend sold rare books and papers to various customers, finally starting an online business during the early days of Ebay. I also recommend THE MAP THIEF by Michael Blanding if you like this sort of case.

[Margot Note]

Read it because the hero of the book (Chris Barth) was an instructor at the 2016 Archives Leadership Institute. I thought it was interesting that one of Breithaupt's supporters was named Shiftlet, a character in a Flannery O'Connor story. The sale of one of O'Connor's letters on eBay is how the long-term theft from the library and special collections was discovered.

[Daniel Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an avid reader with a penchant for true crime narratives, I must say that "Disappearing Ink: The Insider, the FBI, and the Looting of the Kenyon College Library" by Travis McDade left me sorely disappointed. Despite the promising premise, this book ultimately falls flat on multiple fronts.

First and foremost, McDade's writing style is lackluster and uninspired. The narrative feels disjointed and lacks the compelling storytelling necessary to keep readers engaged. Instead of immersing us in the intrigue of the crime, McDade bombards us with dry facts and tedious details, making it a struggle to stay invested in the story.

Furthermore, the characterization in "Disappearing Ink" is sorely lacking. The individuals involved in the looting of the Kenyon College Library come across as cardboard cutouts rather than fully fleshed-out personalities. As a result, it's difficult to muster any real empathy or interest in their fates.

Moreover, McDade fails to capitalize on the potential for deeper exploration of the broader implications of the crime. Instead of delving into the societal factors that may have contributed to the theft or examining the fallout for the community, he sticks to the surface level, leaving readers with a shallow understanding of the events at hand.

Perhaps most frustratingly, "Disappearing Ink" suffers from a severe lack of resolution. McDade leaves numerous questions unanswered and loose ends dangling, leaving readers feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled. It's as if he lost interest in his own story halfway through, leaving us to pick up the pieces and make sense of it all on our own.

In conclusion, "Disappearing Ink: The Insider, the FBI, and the Looting of the Kenyon College Library" fails to deliver on its promise of a gripping true crime tale. With its dull prose, underdeveloped characters, and lack of resolution, it's a forgettable read that I would not recommend to fellow enthusiasts of the genre.

[Diane Rapport · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating if somewhat terrifying true account of how one person systematically looted the literary treasures of the Kenyon College Library. Over a 10-year period of time, David Breithaupt and his partner Christa Hupp used the library as their own personal ATM. It was easy, and they weren’t even very good at it. Had it not been for the well-trained eye of one eBay customer, it could have gone on much longer. Adding insult to injury, the legal resolution of the case took years to unfold.

I don’t generally read true crime books, but the literary aspects of this story caught my attention. I may not, however, be well qualified to review this book since I don’t have other true crime books as a comparison. This book is loaded with details, especially up front, and I found myself continually re-reading chapters to keep up with the cast of characters. It was slow going, taking me near 2 weeks to read just over 160 pages. In places it is difficult to follow the timeline, and (unlike fiction) there is no action to pick up the pace. In the fiction books I generally read, I would have marked this one DNF and moved on. I persisted because I think this is an important story about how we guard and protect our heritage. Overall I am glad that I did.

[Rex Libris · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the subtitle states, this book is about an ongoing series of thefts from the Kenyon College rare books collection and archives, the investigation of said thefts, and prosecution of the perpetrator of the thefts.

In some ways this was a very difficult book to read; not because it was poorly written (the writing is top flite), but because at every turn the participants in the events get dumber and dumber. The thief, the night supervisor of the library, is a bumbling amateur who sells his stolen treasures for a fraction of their true worth. At the same time, the college watches the guy walk out the building with rare and valuable texts, and thinks nothing of it. The whole series of events was like watching the Titanic sink over a span of ten years, but no one bothers to notice or comment that the ship is sinking deeper and deeper into the water.

The author Travis McDade wrote a book I also commented on here a few years ago, "The Thieves of Book Row." Thieves is also a great book, and both that and this book are well worth reading.

[NRVOUTDOORSMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book

I went to Kenyon College (Class of 1969) and never knew of this story until stumbling across the book while doing a search for other things. The tale is riveting, especially for someone familiar with Kenyon, Gambier, and Knox County. My wife is from Gambier; I spent many hours in the library as a student and many, many days after graduating with her family. That Breithaupt was pretty much let off lightly for his crimes is scandalous. That he was punished at all is due to the diligence and tenacity of the College authorities. That his partner in crime, Christa Hupp, was never even charged is inexcusable. She should have gone to prison as well, and Breithaupt should have done a lot more time in a Federal penitentiary than he did. My hat is off to Mr McDade for his account of a major crime whose actual extent will never be fully known.

[John Deardurff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tale of a decade long robbery of the Kenyon College Library by the night librarian, David Breithaupt, quite possibly the best and worst book thief in American history. To pay the bills David and his partner, Christa Hupp start a very lucrative online internet business selling rare and collectible books. But where were they getting their collection? Even after they were discovered they still almost walked away. This is in no way a thriller, but a story of a man who loved books a little too much and a not so rare lacking of security awareness that still persists today.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sad, strange case. A man and his girlfriend steal valuable works from a college over a period of years. Many books that were sold are gone forever. Since these thefts happened at the dawn of the Internet, much of the thefts could not be traced. The college had little security and the case dragged on for years once the thief was caught. What’s most amazing is that he got off virtually scott free. The girlfriend who was the real mastermind, was never punished and left him to reunite with her ex husband.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly interesting. It’s a good, short story about a library employee that steals from the Academic Library he works at. It was shocking how unsophisticated he was, yet how long he got away with it. The relationship between him and his girlfriend was so toxic, which actually explains the motivations behind some of the actions taken. This is a whole different type of true crime from your typical murder book. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to true crime, nonfiction fans.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rare book and manuscript thieves, art thieves, and tomb raiders . . . all capitalize on shared cultural heritage, and it's a shame to read about the Kenyon library plunder here and the fate (some known, like the book discarded after its plates were removed by the buyer, some unknown) of the items that were stolen. Sad, too, how the thief maintains his innocence despite the clear evidence against him--perhaps not only money problems were at the root of his actions.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I am the current Kenyon archivist so this book hits INCREDIBLY close to home. It is a very well-written, engaging account of what happened in my library. It is often very hard for me to read because I know personally all the who/what/where/whens. If you're interested in cultural heritage theft, I definitely recommend this.

[Garrett Rowlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book but was appalled by the perpetrator of the book thefts and his girlfriend who was the real brains behind the scam. He ended up doing time and she didn't, though she died in 2012 and is beyond punishment or remorse now. Also, the book is an example of how the Internet, especially the early days of it, were and are a boon to a particular kind of thief.

[Robyn Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting crime, well researched.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating episode in the history of library theft.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any Ohio book lover. Or true crime book lover. Or any book lover :)

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account about a librarian who loots the Kenyon college Rare Books Collection for over a decade.

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hang him!!!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad story.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I was hoping for from this: Probably some kind of slick exhibition of cleverness and chutzpah by a deep-dyed bibliophile. I'm not sure; I don't think I gave it all that much thought before clicking "play", or I might have realized that what I was actually going to get was the tale of a bumbling, egocentric, evil-in-my-books (no pun intended) meth head who stumbled onto and took advantage of loopholes in the security and attentiveness of a college library.

Breithaupt was a scumbag, looking upon the Kenyon College Library as his own personal stockpile. I could to some degree forgive him the thefts if they had been for himself, to match up with the initial description of him we're given. The quote I made note of was "Still, as personality disorders go, an extreme love of books has to be among the sweetest." (...Thanks?) The image of a man who is compelled to own books he has no way of obtaining but by theft, and then surrounding himself with these books like a paper-addicted Smaug, is kind of charming - and relatable. My own library listing is only a click or two away. I get this. But the word "bibliophile", lover of books, cannot apply to a man who not only stole ... how many books? Was there even a ballpark estimate? Hundreds? Thousands? Not only stole on a massive scale, by the literal armload, not only sent the books off all around the world to - in at least one case and presumably others - buyers who wanted them only for their plates (hold on, I need to pause for breath thinking about that) - - but also inflicted considerable damage to many, many books in half-assed attempts to cover up their origins... Nope. Not a bibliophile. They tore out pages. From 17th century books. And they tried to soak off book plates. Do I need to say this? Book + water = bad. 17th century book + water = I would happily see Breithaupt and his not-quite-wife fry.

Apparently part of the defense was along the lines of "I stole library books!" - as if what he took was second-hand paperbacks of Twilight and a twenty-third edition of The Grapes of Wrath. When in fact some of what he took was unique and priceless, irreplaceable and unrecoverable.

And he spent a year in prison.

A year.

Given the sheer monetary value of what he took, I would have expected a whole lot more than that.

What's probably worse, though, is that he ran rampant through the college's library for years ... unnoticed. Not only did no one ever get to a point where they thought they ought to look into this guy's weird obsession with getting into the area of the library where the most precious items were kept, not a single soul ever apparently noticed that the stolen items were no longer where they ought to be. Which is all incredibly sad. It's a bit pointless to boast of having an exemplary library when a) you don't look after it properly, and b) it's not used enough for disappearances to be noted.

Again, if I thought that was part of the motive behind the thefts - "hey, Kenyon College doesn't appreciate what it has, so I'm going to put it in the hands of someone who will handle it and admire it" - I could find some sympathy. But, again, nope: it was all money, or maybe compulsion leading to money. Regardless, no one comes out looking great in this sordid story. The thieves have special places in hell earmarked for them - and if I were a donor to Kenyon College in the 90's and 00's, I'd be looking for my money back. If I were a donor now, I'd be dropping by for a chat about their current security measures, and exactly what they're doing to get back some of the works that are still at large.

What a bloody sad story. I regret choosing it today.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2019 Task #19: A book of nonviolent true crime