Abstract
How do you classify a library? This seemingly trivial question doesn't just apply to the owners of large libraries; it also concerns anyone who already has a few dozen books. Roberto Calasso, in Come ordinare una biblioteca, has tried to give a very personal answer to this question. In his view, the classification of a library is above all a metaphysical question, and must necessarily be plural, since the ideal order does not exist (particularly, because of entropy). In classification, the golden rule - laid down by Aby Warburg - is that of the good neighbor. From this point of view, the physical library has an added value compared to the electronic library, an added value linked to the organization of the library in space, as this organization creates relationships between books.
This added value is knowledge-based and measurable. It is thus possible to lay the foundations for a theory of the surplus value of libraries, by analogy with that of Karl Marx: the surplus value of libraries comes from their classification; in other words, the library is more than the sum of the books it contains. More precisely, it contains more knowledge, more information than the sum of the particular information contained in each of its books, because the books are not placed at random: they occupy a particular place in a location that is not interchangeable. This added value is both mental and informational.
The right arrangement helps readers find the book they're not looking for. Not by serendipity. Not by serendipity. But by an intended effect. Creating this added value requires a special kind of work, an energy that can be quantified and even modeled in economic and social terms. Classifying a library requires considerable energy. This energy is transformed into order, and order is information. As entropy is the state of disorder in the library, we know that entropy increases when a book is taken out of the library, and even more so when it is not put back. To preserve order and reduce entropy, we need energy: mental energy to find a place for the book, to classify it, and physical energy to put it away. The library therefore consumes energy, and this energy is used to maintain order. It's a never-ending task, worthy of a Sisyphus, because disorder always threatens.
