A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.
I've found myself moved by letters and diaries in archives as well as trashy, summer blockbusters. It's possible to make a connection with any kind of writing - as long as the writing is good.
Grabbing readers by the imagination is a writer's job.
Often we don't notice the stringent rules to which our culture subjects us.
I'm a library user and I just don't hoard books. To me, they're for sharing.
Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.