Serendipitous libraries.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest that holiday libraries have as much design as they have chance. Design/methodology/approach – Generalizability from experiential anecdote. Findings – Though ephemeral, such libraries may have items of value and interest, and can have focus and purpose too. Research limitations/implications – This paper recommends more research based on survey evidence. Practical implications – Chance collections may nevertheless have items of value, can degrade but also be refreshed and may have a pragmatic role for users. Social implications – Most users take such collections for granted: a librarian or bibliographer will find them of interest. Originality/value – This paper is a commentary on an invisible resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]