In the wilderness of northern Ontario, hidden among the pines and forgotten by time, sits one of the most remarkable collections of books the world has never seen. This isn’t a modern library with gleaming shelves or digital databases—this is a vault of knowledge sealed away in old shipping containers, where each volume tells not just its own story, but the story of the man who painstakingly collected them: Douglas C. Pollard. Now, this treasure trove has been rediscovered, and we’re bringing it back to life under a new name: Box From Babel. Our mission? To revive Pollard’s forgotten dream and deliver that same sense of wonder and discovery to readers everywhere.
Douglas C. Pollard’s Legacy: Douglas Pollard wasn’t just a bookseller—he was a guardian of forgotten knowledge. For decades, he combed through auctions, libraries, and estate sales, rescuing books that would otherwise have been lost to history. His collection grew into the hundreds of thousands, housed in shipping containers and carefully preserved in his remote northern bookshop, waiting for a new generation of readers. Pollard's vision was a library for the curious, a place where every book was an opportunity for discovery, where the unexpected would inspire new ways of thinking.
After his death in 2011, Pollard’s dream could have died with him. The bookshop was sold, and his vast collection was left untouched, a literary time capsule waiting to be opened. That’s where we come in. We’re reviving his vision by relaunching what we call Box From Babel, an archive of books that promises to bring a sense of adventure and curiosity back into reading.
The Intellectual Decline & Our Mission: In today’s culture of information overload, true intellectual exploration is becoming increasingly rare. Algorithms feed us what we already know, and the pursuit of knowledge has been reduced to clicking through headlines and skimming content. Box From Babel is an antidote to that intellectual decline. We believe in the power of books to open minds, to challenge assumptions, and to spark radical thought. Our mission is to take Pollard’s original vision and update it for a new era, where books can once again be tools of discovery rather than just commodities. With each box, we offer readers something that algorithms can’t: the thrill of the unknown. Every book in our collection has a story waiting to be told, and we want to deliver that experience to your doorstep. Whether it’s a rare philosophy text, a forgotten work of fiction, or a historical treatise that’s been out of print for decades, each Box From Babel contains the potential to change how you see the world.
Introducing Box From Babel: Box From Babel is a mystery book experience like no other. We curate high-quality selections from Pollard’s collection—books that have been preserved but unread, awaiting rediscovery—and deliver them directly to you. The twist? You don’t know what you’re getting until you open the box. Will it be a long-lost classic, a groundbreaking philosophical essay, or an obscure work of fiction that’s been overlooked for centuries? The joy of discovery is part of the adventure.
Each box is carefully curated to provide a mix of genres, themes, and intellectual challenges. You might find a book that challenges your beliefs, expands your worldview, or simply delights you with its forgotten beauty. This isn’t just about reading—it’s about rediscovering the joy of intellectual exploration.
Don’t just read—explore. Order a Box From Babel today and step into a world of books that have been waiting for you to discover them. Who knows what knowledge is waiting in your next mystery box?
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