Three Questions for 2025

Polling the subscribers about the next steps for the Library

One of the central challenges of Castalia Library is deciding which books we’re going to preserve for the centuries to come. Some, like Dante’s THE DIVINE COMEDY are obvious. Others, like LOSING MILITARY STRATEGY, are less so, especially if one hasn’t previously read the book.

We’ve been repeatedly asked to do more Christian-related books, and while we’re quite happy to do so, most of the books that we’re asked to do, however worthy, are really not serious candidates for the Library or History series. Of course, we’re also aware that simply dropping a third subscription on our loyal subscribers is not necessarily supportable in the current economy, and, of course, sooner or later it’s going to be impossible for most of our subscribers to acquire all of the books we’re producing.

A Castalia editor hard at work on the next release.

No one expects to buy everything that Easton or Folio produces, and we’re already getting to that point with Library, History, and the various sets and one-offs. So, with all due appreciation for those who have made it possible for us to get to this point, and with the understanding that no current subscriber is requested or expected to sign up for another subscription, allow us to share with you what we’re considering for 2025.

CASTALIA SUBSCRIPTION #4: Christian edition

This would be a monthly subscription of $25 for two books per year, produced at roughly the Castalia History level of quality. Whether we use the Italian or the Spanish cowhide would be TBD. There would be an annual subscription option of $275; active Library, History, and Libraria subscribers would be able to obtain it for $250.

The first books would be those that are presently under attack in academia; we already have an illustrated and annotated PILGRIM’S PROGRESS from 1844 that would be a very strong candidate for the initial book in the proposed series.

Both the illustrations and the annotations in the 1844 edition are of a remarkably high quality, which was why I picked it up in a remote French-language bookstore I happened to be visiting a few years ago. At that time, we weren’t giving any thought to doing a religious-themed line, but perhaps it was a fortuitous find.

Question 1: whether you are already a Library/History/Libraria subscriber or not, would this proposed subscription be of serious interest to you?

Question 2: if you are already a subscriber to Library, History, or Libraria, which would best describe your response to the existence of a third subscription.

Question 3: if you are seriously considering subscribing to a new Castalia Christian-themed subscription, what works would you most like to see us produce? Please limit your suggestions to three books in the comments. Please do not say “the Bible” as that will not be a subscription book in any case. While we might one day tackle that challenge, it’s not relevant in this context.

Please note that we have not made any decisions yet, and obviously, if there is no serious interest in the proposed subscription, we simply will not create it. We do have plans to launch Signature Society sometime in 2025, but not until we complete and ship the various books that are already in production. The reason we are asking these questions is to help us determine a rough number of books that would be required, as this has a significant effect on the costs involved, which we need in order to make an informed decision one way or the other.

And even if we decide not to do this in January 2025, that doesn’t mean we won’t get around to doing it later. It’s something that we intend to do eventually, but we don’t necessarily need to roll it out three months from now.