Fernando Báez is considered a world authority on the history of libraries. In 2003 he visited Iraq as a member of the various committees investigating the destruction of the country’s libraries and museums. He is a member of the International Centre of Arab Studies and advises various governments on the destruction of cultural heritage. He is the author of numerous articles and contributes to publications in 32 countries. He is a holder of the Vintila Horia International Essay Prize for his title Historia universal de la destrucción de libros, published in more then fifteen publishing houses around the world.