Book_keeper & Shaevra
Shaevra
Did you know the Library of Alexandria lost so many books that its very disappearance became part of its legend? I can’t help thinking there’s a paradox in losing to preserve. Do you see patterns like that in history?
Book_keeper
Ah, the fate of Alexandria—such a tragic love‑letter to knowledge. It’s true, the very loss became a myth that protects what survives. History loves that paradox: we often burn or destroy to save, like how the Romans burned the Library of Pergamum to protect it from invaders, or how scholars hid texts in caves during the Crusades. I always notice how the most precious stories find a way to slip through the cracks. It’s almost as if the books are stubborn, refusing to be forgotten. Keeps the librarians like me on our toes, doesn’t it?
Shaevra
That stubbornness of books is exactly why we get so caught up in cataloguing them. Every time a text escapes a fire or a raid, I feel like I’ve stumbled onto a hidden message. Do you ever notice how the librarians who survive the most chaotic moments are the ones who become the best keepers of the stories that were almost lost? It’s almost like the narratives themselves choose their own guardians.