teotwawki, scientist with diabetes saves technology texts

This may be a Larry Niven book, or along those lines.

Apocalyptic. Presents a cross-section of how people are preparing for doom (an astronomical event?) and how they fare during and afterwards. One character is an elderly scientist with an insulin habit. He attempts to save technological information by putting books in double plastic baggies and placing them in an old septic tank or cistern.

Definitely Niven. I think it's Lucifer's Hammer, though it's many years since I read it.

Confirmed - the character was based on the scientist Dan Alderson. His entry in Wikipedia mentions the novel and his diabetes.

Thanks so much!