Forbes Smiley - Legacy

Legacy

As a result of Smiley's thefts, research libraries are now more aware of the vulnerability of maps illustrating volumes in their rare book collections and are improving their documentation and security procedures. At the same time they appreciate the importance to scholars of continued access to such works. The changes are most noticeable at Yale's Sterling Memorial Library, where a comprehensive program of cataloging and digitizing the early map collection is under way, funded largely by a donation of US$100,000 from William Reese, who had acted as Yale's advisor throughout the Smiley affair.

Smiley was not the first major map thief. Miles Harvey's book The Island of Lost Maps — notionally about Gilbert Bland — describes a number of earlier thieves, and two European thieves were active in or before 2001. However, Smiley was almost certainly responsible for more financial and cultural loss than any of his predecessors.

Smiley was released from prison on January 15, 2010.