Photo: Scott French

The remains of the society's special
collection.

Stacked in the small, common space adjacent to the jail cells that once held the city's criminals, 106 boxes of books, worn with use, age, and neglect, await their fate: sale by silent auction. The proposed sale of certain 18th and 19th century volumes from the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec's private collection has led many to believe the society's heritage has been condemned.