Disappearing Ink

David Breithaupt, a former library supervisor at Kenyon College, exploited his access to a prestigious special collections library for over a decade by secretly taking rare books, manuscripts, and documents. His online sale of a Flannery O'Connor letter marked the beginning of his exposure, revealing a long history of pilfering from the institution’s most valuable holdings. The story highlights the tension between the college and the justice system as they confront the extensive theft.