What was the Gentleman's Agreement and how did librarians shape it? A deep history of libraries, publishers and fair use

If you're interested in libraries and copyright, you'll want to read Peter's forthcoming article: Peter Hirtle, Research, Libraries and Fair Use: The Gentleman's Agreement of 1935.  The Gentleman's Agreement was a landmark fair use agreement -- consensual voluntary guidelines that allowed libraries, archives and museums to make copies back in the days when microfilm threatened the status quo of hand copying.

What surprised me the most is the pivotal role of librarians in shaping the agreement. The article paints a colorful picture of the negotiators, especially of 33 year old Robert C. Binkley, WWI vet, reference librarian, and micofilm enthusiast.  We also meet Harry M. Lydenberg, from the New York Public Library... their presence gives library interests greater weight than general educational interests. 

Peter delved into archives at the Library of Congress, Princeton University, the Univ. of IL and the Univ. of VA to get deep background.  I plan to assign this article to my library students this summer at San Jose State in my course on copyright.