What was the purpose and process for devotees bringing books to Baba in Shirdi?

Devotees brought books to Sai Baba in the hope of receiving them back as a blessing, a practice they believed would lead to the acquisition of merit and supreme welfare for both the reader and listener. As detailed in Chapter 27, devotees would offer various sacred texts, such as the Five-Jeweled Gita or Dasganu's Santaleelamrut. The process often required patience, and devotees would sometimes enlist Madhavrao (Shama) to help present the book at an opportune moment. Baba, knowing the greatness of the books and the state of the devotee, would take the book, turn some pages, and then decide its fate.