Who took the treasure? Exploring the mystery of missing literature in our libraries

Libraries. A place of learning and a repository of knowledge. The other day I visited one of our local branches with my son and grandchildren. While he was returning books and looking for new ones I strolled around the place. I had not been in this particular branch in over a decade. I was surprised at how open it was. Lots of free space. The shelves were half covered with books. The children’s section was huge. Several people were on computers playing games or web browsing. There was the large section of movies and audiobooks. I made my way to the actual book collection. The fiction section was the dominant part with just a small part for non-fiction. As I browsed the fiction books, I noticed many contemporary authors and multiple copies of their books. I walked through the aisles looking for classics or time-honored works. I am a firm believer in classics. They give us a good litmus test to judge contemporary works. After going up and down all the rows of books I walked up to the desk to ask for some help. The young lady behind the counter was very pleasant and seemed eager to help me. I told her I was looking for classical literature and that perhaps I had overlooked it when I walked around. She paused for a moment and then asked me if I meant sheet music. This startled me for a second and then I responded, no, I was looking for classic literature like Plato, Aristotle, or even Shakespeare or Dostoyevsky. She then paused again and looking at me hopefully and asked, you mean poetry? Not exactly I responded, but it would be a start. She then typed a few words on her computer screen and stated confidently that what I desired was most likely in the 800 section. She proceeded to walk me over to the far wall and pointed to two shelves and asked if this was what I was looking for. I told her I would look it over and thanked her for her time and help.

The selection was very small and consisted of very little of what I had hoped to find. As I left, I pondered the lack of the classic books in the library. Of course, I know they are available through the main branch but that is not exactly the issue. What is at stake is actually very serious. If these canons of great literature are not to be found on the shelves where they can be discovered while looking for other books it is a great loss. How can you request something that you do not know even exists? These great works are not always taught in school or even in college anymore. One could very easily go to college, get a degree, and never encounter some of the great works. I believe there is a responsibility to the community for every library branch to have copies of the great works available on the shelves. These should be intermixed and highlighted at various times so as to bring them forth and catch the eye of a curious and inquisitive reader. As a society we need to be in touch with our past even as we look to the future.

I explored several other branch libraries in my area and discovered that the first was not an anomaly. I searched through the online database for many of the classic reads that a simple internet search will give you. To give you an idea, we have a well-recognized main library with forty branch offices. I found that many of these literary gems were only available at the main library. Some our stored in the stacks and most had less than ten copies for the entire area. The books are available, if you know what you are looking for. But how could one stumble across one on the shelf of his local branch library if they are not there? If they are not there, should the average reader just assume they are not important anymore?

Maybe I am just blowing this all out of proportion and getting unduly all worked up. But I am afraid I may not be. It appears that this is not an accident or just an overlook but the new plan for the future of libraries. My local libraries have become more and more open. Big spaces with mostly empty shelves. The local branch I visit most often, where I have my books delivered to, is actually quite big in size. It features over 14,000 square feet and had only 314 books in its 800 section (yes, I counted them all!) One cannot argue that there is not enough space as there is plenty of that to go around. I do want to state that the librarians that I have interacted with have been very pleasant and eager to help. They all appear to enjoy their job. But my concern is over the secret treasure that is being stored or slowly weeded out so there are less and less copies. This treasure trove of great literature should be promoted, put on display, and revered so that every person will have the opportunity to develop the desire to read and learn and experience these great works. I feel it is a disservice to our community and society. In the end we will all lose.

That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong. [1]
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.[2]
C. S. Lewis

[1] Quote Investigator. “That Is Part of the Beauty of All Literature. You Discover that Your Longings Are Universal Longings.” Accessed May 17, 2019. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/03/24/literature/

[2] This quote is all over the web and attributed to C. S. Lewis, but I cannot find its primary source. If you know, please share!