The fact that the books in the library are real surprises Nick. This is significant because it ties into the theme of appearances verses reallity. Nick expected the books to be fake because it was customary during that time to have "faux cardboard" books to give the appearance that one was well-read. However, it should also be noted that the pages have not been cut (which means it is impossible that they have been read).
It interesting to examine what this reveals about Gatsby's character and about Nick's character.
1. It reveals that Gatsby is really concerned about how he is perceived by people, so much so that he would go through the trouble of buying the real books in order to appear erudite. However, it also reveals that he sometimes does not pay attention to detail in his attempts to beguile people into thinking that he is something that he is not.
2. It reveals that Nick pays close attention to detail and henceforth is a reliable narrator. As readers, we feel that we can trust what he is saying to be true.
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