What was the significance of devotees offering books to Sai Baba in Shirdi?

Devotees would bring books to Sai Baba with the hope of receiving them back as a blessing. As Chapter 27 explains, there was a belief that reading a book after it had been in Baba's hands would lead to the acquisition of merit and was considered a form of supreme welfare. Devotees would bring various sacred texts, like the Five-Jeweled Gita or books on the ten avatars, and offer them to Baba. Sometimes, they would need patience and the help of Madhavrao to approach Baba at the right moment for this sacred exchange, as Baba would turn the pages before deciding what to do with the book.