Why did Sai Baba, who was completely detached, go to the trouble of collecting holy books?

Sai Baba's mind is mysterious, but his collection of holy books served a very practical and holy purpose for his devotees. As detailed in Chapter 27, these books were gathered to provide a means for listening and learning. Baba foresaw that Shirdi would become a major holy place where his followers from various places would gather for sessions of knowledge. He intended for these books to remain as his 'images,' serving as a reminder for devotees, whether in Shirdi or elsewhere. The books were meant to be used by future generations of devotees, with Shama appointed to keep them in the records.