America's Victory Book Campaign During World War II

I had been in the book business for fourteen years before I became aware of The Victory Book Campaign. I had purchased some books at an estate sale, and when I opened up one of them, Masaryk's Democracy by W. Preston Warren (University of NC Press, 1941), stamped in the front was this message: "Gift of The People of the United States Through the Victory Book Campaign (A. L. A. -- A. R. C. -- U. S. O.) To the Armed Forces and Merchant Marine."

The effects of the Great Depression were still lingering when the United States began gearing up for World War 2. Library budgets had been cut drastically during the 1930s, and books were not available in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of civilians much less servicemen. Concerned citizens knew that books had improved soldier morale during World War 1 and wanted to make sure that books were once again readily available for servicemen to read. It was also believed that by providing soldiers with books, they might not be so tempted to indulge in illegal or harmful forms of entertainment.

The Victory Book Campaign (VBC), originally known as the National Defense Book Campaign, was formed in 1941. It's first director was Althea Warren. The VBC was sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organization for National Defense, Inc., and its headquarters was in the Empire State Building. Each of the 48 states also had its own headquarters, director and organization.

According to the first Manual for State and Local Directors, published by the VBC in January 1942, the VBC had three goals. The first was to collect books for soldiers, sailors and marines as a supplement to the library services provided by the armed forces. The second goal was to provide reading material in the USO houses and the American Merchant Marine Library Association. Finally, if more books were collected than needed for the armed forces, the VBC would also provide "books for men, women, and children in areas where industrial activities have increased population so that existing library resources are inadequate or nonexistent."

Certain categories of books were sought after more than others. Camp librarians supplied lists of those categories most in demand by servicemen. These included books on applied psychology, current affairs, military publications, crime and the F.B.I., police systems and fingerprinting, English grammars, arithmetic, algebra, etc. There was also a demand for classic and popular fiction.

At the collection centers where donated books were received, books were sorted into seven different categories:

1. Fiction books which were A in quality and condition.

2. Nonfiction books which were A in quality and condition.

3. Fiction books which were B in quality and condition.

4. Nonfiction books which were B in quality and condition.

5. Books needing light cleaning or repair.

Categories 6 and 7 are the most interesting because these books were never forwarded to the military but were used to raise money for the VBC. Category 6 included books which were "bad in condition or with poor type or paper or unfit in contents." These books were sold for their scrap value.

Category 7 included "books of value but not appropriate for the Armed Forces." First editions and antiquarian books in particular were to be set aside for later sale.

It is not clear what books were considered inappropriate for the military, but the camp librarian had the final say on what books could be accepted for the library he directed. In any event, the goal of the book drive started by the VBC was ten million volumes. The campaign met its goals and then some, collecting seventeen million books, donating ten million of them. We must assume that the other seven million were pulped or sold to book collectors to raise money.

The Victory Book Campaign dissolved itself on December 31, 1943, after two years of operation. The Victory Book Campaign was successful, but had several drawbacks. Many of the books collected were not usable. Furthermore, it was expensive to ship hard covers due to their weight, and a soldier could not carry them around in his pocket

The Victory Book Campaign gave way to The Armed Services Editions, Inc. From 1943-47, this non-profit corporation published 123 million copies of more than 1300 titles in two different sizes that fit conveniently in a soldier's cargo pocket. Titles were geared to servicemen and included popular novels, classics, poetry, mysteries, westerns, sci-fi, some non-fiction, even a little philosophy. Unlike the VBC, few books were wasted.

While the Armed Services book giveaway was more successful than the Victory Book Campaign, the VBC enabled more civilians to get involved and laid the groundwork for the Armed Services Editions.

Both programs remain two of the greatest book distribution efforts in the history of the world.