# 2024 National Book Festival: If It’s Not Science Fiction, What Does Science Have to Do with Books?

Books build us up through the words on their pages, but what about the pages themselves? Learn about the Library of Congress Preservation Research and Testing Division’s Mellon-funded project: “Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Collection” (ANC). This study analyzed 500 “identical” books from research libraries across various U.S. regions, spanning 1840-1940. Specialists will connect the surprising discoveries to real-world historical shifts.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2024
- Runtime: 14 min
- By: Zins, Meghan
- Genres: Science fiction, Science
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/video-10250/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/video-10250?play=1)