In the mid-20th century, India’s food shortage led to an unexpected outcome – the funding of book purchases for American universities through a US initiative called PL-480. The University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library became home to an unparalleled South Asia collection due to this program. However, concerns have been raised about the implications of this practice, with some questioning whether it created knowledge gaps for South Asian researchers. The end of the PL-480 program in the 1980s shifted the financial burden to American libraries, highlighting the lasting impact of this unique food-for-books deal.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevj80gld7do