Most private libraries rather resemble a set of matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls):
The largest doll is the overall theme of one's private library (e.g., science fiction); the next smaller doll is the part of the overall collection that is devoted to alternate histories; the next smaller doll after that is the section devoted to alternate histories of World War II; the next smaller doll after that is the sub-section devoted to alternate histories of World War II in which the Nazis win instead of the Western Powers; and so on. The deeper you delve into the smaller, constituent parts of a private library, the more likely it is that you will encounter subsets of titles that are essentially complete (or at least as complete as time and finances can make them). The satisfaction afforded by the completeness of such mini collections can offset the frustration one feels that one's overall collection may never be completed.
We will explore this concept in more detail over the next few posts. We will focus on subjects for which so many titles have been published that attempting to collect all titles published is unrealistic....
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