Books that were spotted dumped on the back of a truck outside the Franciscan friary in Valletta were of “no particular value”, the man who ordered them moved has said.

“The general content of the books was of a religious nature. They aren’t of any particular value. They are neither Melitensia nor of any particular historical value or otherwise,” Fr Richard Stanley Grech, Franciscan Provincial Minister said.

“I have been informed that the only value the books have was as a collector’s item,” Fr Grech said. “Their monetary value doesn’t exceed €20 [each], while it would take a considerable amount of money to have them restored.”

“Moreover,” he continued, “keeping them in the library would endanger the rest of the books. We made sure that we have copies of most of the books which are in better condition than the ones that were to be moved elsewhere.”

Images of the books haphazardly dumped in the back of a truck set social media aflame with outrage on Tuesday evening. After being spotted outside the friary, eagle-eyed observers traced the van again to Birkirkara, where efforts were made to save the books from their unfortunate conditions.

Late on Tuesday, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said Heritage Malta had stepped in and offered to store the books. 

Why were the books in the back of a truck?

Fr Grech said that the books seen in the back of the truck were meant to be taken to be stored at a property in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, to be eventually given away to anyone interested in them. 

“Unfortunately, the person who was to carry them didn’t follow our instructions and put them neatly and carefully away in his truck in boxes,” Fr Grech said.

The books were being moved because the Franciscan Provincial Library, where the discarded books originated, is undergoing major refurbishment. Its library required urgent structural works, including six large windows that needed to be replaced completely.

The Franciscan Provincial Library while works were ongoing some time ago

For the works to progress, Fr Grech said, the library was moved to another section of the friary were they were sorted

How were the books 'saved'?

Realising the truck’s location through photos, Alessandra Dee Crespo managed to map a location to the books on Tuesday evening.

Ms Crespo, who is a Curia employee and serves as Chancellor of the Regional Tribunal of Second Instance, noticed that the books were religiously themed, and contacted Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna in a bid to recover them.

“This is heart breaking,” she wrote, “What can be done?”

The matter was resolved in half an hour, Ms Crespo says, with the Archbishop taking the lead in finding the books a new home.

“I was in the right place and had the right contacts,” Ms Crespo said, “I only did my duty, others would have done the same.”

What will happen to the books?

In a tweet the Archbishop said that Culture Minister Owen Bonnici had facilitated the transportation of the books to a Heritage Malta property.

Although the Franciscan provincial has downplayed the books' historical value, Heritage Malta experts will nonetheless take a close look at them. 

A spokeswoman for Heritage Malta said that the Culture Ministry had picked up the books on Tuesday evening, while Heritage Malta had in turn received the books on Wednesday at noon.

The books are currently being stored in a quarantine area at the Malta Maritime Museum, as a preventive measure until their condition can be evaluated. 

“This measure is necessary to avoid any infestation to other books or artefacts,” the spokeswoman said.  “The books will go through a conservation condition assessment to determine their exact condition and also to determine the best way forward in collaboration with the National Archives and other entities.”