Just so you know …

… American Literature is a History of the Nation’s Libraries. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

The challenge … is that the American library—out of need, no doubt—has pushed books into the basement. I speak both concretely and metaphorically. In many branches, books are a second thought. The reason has to do with the technological move by the culture at large from printed to digital books. Most new books are available as e-books. And classics are made free online.