"Using Hollis, I found all the books on the dealer's list of 180 that were bought by Harvard," Whitesell said. "It was a lot of detective work."

Whitesell then examined each book for signs that it once belonged to Dario, growing increasingly confident that at least 43 of the 180 had once been part of Dario's personal library.

According to Whitesell, there is a long tradition of Dario scholarship at Harvard. One of the first major studies on his work and the first bibliography on his works in the 1930s were both published at Harvard.

However, Whitesell noted ironically that even with the local interest in Dario, the books in his library were never studied.

"No one paid attention to them," he said.

Most of the books had never even circulated. However, one volume on versification--a Dario specialty--had been checked out by dozens of students. An inscription in the book reads "To Ruben" and a section in the book describes his poetry.

"Dozens of Harvard students have been studying from this book without realizing that 'Ruben' was Ruben Dario," Whitesell says.

According to Whitesell, Dario traveled widely and often left many belongings behind in each move. For scholars, an author's library represents a goldmine of information on his literary influences.