In 1996, Ananya Vajpeyi, then a history doctoral student, stumbled upon an unparalleled collection of South Asian books at the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library. This discovery highlighted the university's extensive South Asian literature archive, which has since become one of the world’s premier collections for studying the region. The origin of this vast repository can be traced back to the Public Law 480 (PL-480) program launched in 1954. Initially aimed at alleviating food shortages in India through grain aid, this initiative inadvertently led to the establishment of comprehensive South Asian studies collections in over two dozen U.S. universities.

The Genesis of a Literary Legacy

The PL-480 program, also known as Food for Peace, was signed into law by President Eisenhower. It allowed countries like India to purchase U.S. grain using local currency, thereby easing their foreign exchange burden. This surplus currency was then made available to participating American universities, enabling them to acquire local books and media. As a result, institutions such as the University of Chicago became hubs for South Asian studies. By 1968, over 750,000 books and periodicals had been sent from India, Nepal, and Pakistan to U.S. universities, with India alone contributing more than 633,000 items.

The process of building this impressive collection was no simple feat. A specialized team of 60 Indians was established in Delhi in 1959 to source materials. Initially focused on government publications, the program expanded over five years to include a wide range of books and periodicals. Dealers were selected from various publishing hubs, each focusing on specific languages or groups of languages. This collaborative effort ensured that the final selection rested with the Delhi office, leading to a comprehensive and diverse collection. However, the initial policy of acquiring all types of fiction resulted in a large number of works with limited research value. By 1963, the focus shifted to "research level material," significantly reducing the intake of fiction.

The Impact and Controversies of PL-480

The PL-480 program left an indelible mark on both American and South Asian academia. While it enriched Western libraries with invaluable resources, it also raised concerns about the potential creation of knowledge gaps in South Asia. Todd Michelson-Ambelang, a librarian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, noted that researchers from the Indian subcontinent often need to travel to the West to access these resources. Many books now unavailable in India can be found in Western libraries, preserved due to better conservation efforts. The end of the PL-480 program in the 1980s shifted the financial burden to American libraries, which now have to pay for resource acquisition and delivery.

Ananya Vajpeyi, who studied Sanskrit and multiple Indian and European languages at the University of Chicago, believes the books-for-grain deal had a positive outcome. She emphasized the accessibility and preservation of materials at the Regenstein Library compared to the dismal state of many Indian archives. Despite its controversies, the PL-480 program undeniably transformed the landscape of South Asian studies in American universities, creating a lasting legacy that continues to influence scholarship today.