I am sent to the College at Winterhold to ask about how to find an Elder Scroll. The orc only wants to talk about stuff as if I was a student there (I'm not), jobs like find this book or that writing, not about Elder Scrolls. Hmm, does he need a favour first? So I am to find "Cleansing of the Fane" in Haemar's Shame where I have already been on a Daedric quest. The killer problem is that I already have "Cleansing of the Fane" stuck in my inventory — "This is a quest item that can't be removed" which I found after meeting Clavicus Vile. There is no option to give this book to the orc librarian. So off I go to Haemar's Shame to do the exercise again. The pointer is hovering over the chest. There is no "Cleansing of the Fane" in there because I already have it. It does not look like the orc is going to cooperate.

The UESP Wiki says a guy who wrote books held by the orc might help and this apparently leads to a quest given by a bloke called Septimus Signus who will tell me to search Alftand. I had already spoken to Septimus many moons ago and he gave me two strange objects that can't be removed from inventory. Apparently, that started the quest Discerning the Transmundane which I have not touched yet.

So my questing is all screwed up. I suppose my question is: is it okay to bypass those College books and the stuff that follows from reading them? I propose to start the Discerning the Transmundane quest. Do you think the Main Quest will carry on normally from that? I think it should. But maybe this is just another of my messed up quests.

he should just give you some books not send you on a quest check again if his dialogue changes sometimes if you enter and exit dialogue there are new options

Yup. I tried that. Left the area and returned. No dice. No. I just don't get any dialog that can lead to asking about Elder Scrolls. Would waiting some game days make any difference?

no do you just want to skip this part of the quest?

You are better off to join the college and do thatquestline. It is quite fast and easy. much faster than thieves guild. It throws you alot of skill books which help earler in the game and are useless when skills hit 100. The book quests are good for locating dungeons all over skyrim and other side quests are also easy. In the process, your issues will likely clear up.