By Gosia Fort, Head of Digital Resource Development

Introduction

Is there a room in a library for a book that nobody wants to read? Libraries are changing today. In my opinion, they are no longer collectors and guardians of information but they act more like mediators and providers of resources the user wants. With financial challenges, drastically shrinking stacks to provide more space for studying, and the expanding electronic offerings, libraries turn to patron-driven acquisition and focus their collecting on the current needs of the user.

Rare Books and Special Collections is the only area where the library still exercises its old role of preserving knowledge for future generations. This is the place where the user’s demand does not dictate what is kept on shelves. This is the perfect place where the book that nobody wants to read today finds its home. Claudii Galeni Pergameni omnia (Galen’s Works) published in 1562 in Basel is a great example. It is one of the books the library is proud to have. Though it has not been requested or used in years, its significance in the field of medicine is enough to keep such a gem.