William Marx, Libraries of the Mind. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780691267425.
In this book, the author explores and expands the idea of the invisible library, a library we all have in our minds whether we are aware of it or not. The author discusses how we build such libraries and how we can and should keep expanding them.
The book really made me think about how I read. I often make connections between books or texts I am currently reading and books or texts I have read before. Reading this book helped validate that process for me. But there is more as the author also asks us to consider and add to our mental libraries works that may be lost, in fragments, or even not written yet. This sounds to me a bit like Borges's ideas on books, reading, and libraries, and at some point I will be rereading Borges.
The book is an interesting read, especially if you enjoy books about reading and how it works. It can be a bit slow and some of the text can be dense, but it is worth reading through it. This book can help you rethink how and why you read. It may also encourage you to expand your reading horizon.
Overall, I really liked the book. It gave me much to consider. Strongly recommend it for academic libraries with strong literature and critical theory programs. It may be optional for public libraries.
4 out of 5 stars.
Additional reading notes:
On why books get lost:
"Either because of disinterest or because one book says better, more succinctly, or more memorably what a previous one had developed with painstaking detail. Over time, everything ends up in compendiums and textbooks" (3).
I've had that moment at times when I've read a book on a topic, come across another on the same topic. Unless the other book draws me in somehow, I feel that the book I read previously likely is enough.
Defining invisible libraries:
"Symmetrically, invisible libraries are collections of works in the minds of individuals or groups, who are aware of these works. Such awareness need not be very precise; even a vague knowledge of a work is enough to include it in an invisible library. While visible libraries are composed of books and texts, invisible libraries consist of works" (19).
Books and catalogs:
"In the world of books, if you are not listed, then you simply do not exist. Material existence holds little weight compared to being included in a catalog. A book forgotten by catalogs is like a pearl lost in the ocean, with little chance of ever being found. Dramatic acts such as book burnings are counterproductive because of their spectacle, whereas discreetly removing an entry from a catalog can have a similar effect with much less visibility. The master of catalogs, therefore, wields significant power over the entire library" (46-47).
In modern terms, consider all those authors wanted to be listed and reviewed in Amazon. For good or mostly ill, Amazon is a master of catalogs with the power of a behemoth. Here, we can also consider the debates some librarians have about collection development, what books to include or not in their collections, whether they censor or not if they decide to exclude something, etc. In libraries, the cataloger along with the collection developer does have a lot of power.
A key question:
"Should we cease reading the authors of the past because of their views? On the contrary, these texts hold valuable lessons. They serve at least as vital records of where we have come from, helping us to understand historical contexts and avoid repeating past mistakes" (140).
Some folks should consider that question and Marx's answer when they advocate to stop reading a certain book or author for whatever reason or cause may be bothering them at the time.
Book qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge:
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