This is the 15442nd most frequent German word.
verschont
Spared.
In this sentence, "verschont" is used to mean "spared," indicating that the storm avoided causing harm to the small village.
Der Sturm hat das kleine Dorf verschont.
The storm spared the small village.
Here, "verschont" implies a request to spare from something burdensome or tiresome, in this case, the endless discussions.
Bitte, verschont mich mit euren endlosen Diskussionen.
Please, spare me from your endless discussions.
This usage of "verschont" signifies that the books remained untouched or unharmed by the flames.