[1][2][3] As a "Skate Mag Preservation Society" the Look Back Library aims to promote literacy and the appreciation of printed skateboard materials, particularly magazines.

[4] Founded by Kevin Marks in 2014, the Look Back Library originated from a pet project of Marks' to improve the skate magazine library at Launch, a community skate organization located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

[5][6] While improving the library at Launch, he noticed considerable interest from both readers and collectors.

Marks conceived of the Look Back Library as a way to place the magazine duplicates he was accumulating into a space where the public could read them.

[2] The Look Back HQ is located in San Diego, CA, with Marks spending a good portion of the year traveling and installing libraries.