This stamp indicates this borrowed hardcover was originally intended as reading material for members of the armed services abroad. It was part of the Victory Book Campaign led by the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA), American Red Cross (ARC), and United Service Organizations (USO).

Content deemed unsuitable or unlikely to be of interest to members of the armed forces was repurposed; it is possible the volume this cover came from fit into that category. Regardless, the fact that a book cover of material collected for active service members abroad ended up in Tule Lake hints at the interconnection between the wartime realities for those outside of the camp, including paper and other shortages, with that of those inside.

The material culture of this collection tells such varied stories-- prewar Japanese language book collections and circulation; volunteer librarians struggling with limited access to book preservation materials; censorship and regulation of Japanese language materials; the journeys and marks acquired in and among the incarceration camps, and here, even the process of leaving them. We hope this collection can contribute to new research, serve as testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those trapped in the incarceration camp system, offer a point of personal connection for those whose relatives were held at Tule Lake, and provide the public with concrete artifacts that hint at the impact of this dark moment of American history.

Kaeranu chūtai [Unreturned (naval) company] Slide 85/85