Collections Quote by Michael Dirda
“Order and surprise: these are two intertwined elements that make for any great library or collection.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of the Library, The New York Review of Books, 2005
Great collections balance order and surprise, offering both structure and unexpected discoveries.
In simple terms: Libraries succeed by mixing organization with novelty.
Key Takeaway
Curate with both predictability and surprise.
Themes
library
curation
discovery
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- museum exhibit design
- personal reading lists
- archival work
Key Concepts
information science
aesthetics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can librarians measure the right mix of order and surprise?
- What role does surprise play in learning?
A Different Perspective
Too much surprise can overwhelm users seeking specific items.
![“Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics - feel that [Kurt] Vonnegut started to repeat himself, to grow increasingly self-indulgent and meandering, and to sometimes just blather in his later work. But his books up…” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed7/michael-dirda-3414_1960s_nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-li_13506.jpg)
