Direct Descent by Herbert, Frank

Ace, 1983-02-15. Paperback. Good.

A tight and unmarked copy-" Earth has become a library planet for thousands of years, a bastion of both useful and useless knowledge, esoterica of all types, history, science, politics gathered by teams of pack rats who scour the galaxy for any scrap of information. Knowledge is power, wealth, and knowledge can be a weapon. As powerful dictators come and go throughout history, the cadre of dedicated librarians is sworn to obey the lawful government . . . and use their wits to protect the treasure trove of knowledge they have collected over the millennia." About the Author: "Frank Herbert was born in Tacoma, Washington, and educated at the University of Washington, Seattle. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked various jobs--including TV cameraman, radio commentator, oyster diver, jungle survival instructor, lay analyst, creative writing teacher, reporter, and editor of several West Coast newspapers. He died in 1986."