He also kept note of which books were burned or lost in his departure from his home, and where and how he replaced them. After Buyck died in 1599, his collection was eventually given to the city of Amsterdam, where it sat uncatalogued and unread for more than a century. Because of this, though, it is one of the most complete early libraries we have today, with an estimated 85% of the original books still present and in their original bindings. Buyck’s clear vision for his library, and the meaning it gave him, are still evident after more than four hundred years. We can only hope that our own bookshelves will stand the test of time as well as his!