Daniel Traister
Of the holy trinity�collecting, preserving, and making accessible precious books, manuscripts, and other special materials�preservation takes precedence.1 Following are three brief prefatory notes that will be helpful in understanding this essay. First, readers should note that the word polemical appears in the essay�s title. I ask the reader�s indulgence in understanding that I mean this word literally. The essay is a polemic. Intended to be serious, it is not therefore also intended to be �balanced� or �fair.� In addition, it is an essay, not a paper; and its informality of style is intended to reflect a difference between these two . . .