Bib List for Adult Classics

Well, I certainly am not an expert in the classics. I studied drawing and painting. But when a patron recently came up to the desk and asked for a list of literature he should read before going to college, being a librarian I realized there must be a list somewhere. Below are a few that I found:

Online

• Random House's Modern Library top 100 lists of both Novels and Non-fiction
• New York Public Library's Books of the Century List (also available in book format)
• College Board's List of 101 Books to Read (no longer hosted on the College Board website)

 In the collection (searched under "literature bibliography NOT children" in subject search)

• Genrefied classics : a guide to reading interests in classic literature 016.8093 FRO (SGB reference)
• Accessing the classics : great reads for adults, teens, and English language learners  011.73 ROS (Central)
• American writers classics  810.9 AME V 1& 2 (Central reference)
• The A-Z of great writers 809.003 PAY (Central)
• 501 great writers 808.8 FIV (Central)
• The literature teacher's book of lists 809 STR 

There are of course lists for American, Native American, Latin American, Black American (pre and post Harlem renaissance), German, Russian, English writers, Poets and so on. Simply do the search described above and a little reference interview to see what "type" of literature the person is seeking.