The Literary Elite: Titles for the Making of the Reference Librarian in Literature

The question being asked is: “If you were stranded on a desert island and had to create a reference/information service with only ten sources, which ten would you choose?” Frankly, I destest the prospect of being stranded on a desert island, or even a lush one. The heat, the sand, the bugs, and who knows what other critters — this is not my idea of an atmosphere conducive to study and reflection. And I bet that those ten reference books would deteriorate from the humidity faster than I could say “Robinson Crusoe.”