The Kakiobre Library
The Kakiobre Library is the largest library in Orlend and the second largest in the world, after the King Amares Library in Carkemeren, Cebelra. Nevertheless, the King Amares Library has achieved this title only as it has many copies of each resource, a necessity due to the fact that it is more widely visited, while the Kakiobre Library has the most individual titles as a whole. Furthermore, the Kakiobre Library is fast catching up, only five-hundred resources away. It is expected to surpass the King Ameres Library in six months. The Kakiobre Library sits three hundred metres east of the edge of Kakiobre, the town after which the library was named. It is currently owned by Lord Hall Semma, who also owns the neighbouring town of Kakiobre.
Purpose / Function
The library was originally created as a storage building for governmental records in 1526, but became a public library after the surrounding land (and library within it) was bought by the Lady of Kakiobre, Erman Semma. It now exists as a central store of all public libraries in Erdantia and delivers books to the other libraries frequently, at about one-thousand books and other materials coming in and out each day.
Design
The Library Has a central area and eight wings, each wing divided into separate sections for different subjects. The library also features a medium-sized underground vault in which to store unsorted books/texts. The whole building is on three floors, with the central space with the bookshelves reaching up to floor three, acting as one great hall. Because of this, the use of ladders on the bookshelves is too dangerous due to the sheer height of the bookshelves, and walkways are attached to the side of them. The central area is a mix of reading tables and information desks. The back features a reading garden. On the roof, there is a small observatory, which is available to anyone who asks to use it, so long as they help contribute to the maintenance costs for it.
Entries
The library has a large wooden door at the front, a gate leading out from the reading garden at the back, and a tunnel leading to the library's office in Kakiobre.
Denizens
The library has a large staff team, with librarians assigned to each wing for better specialisation. Furthermore, students and government officials often come here for research or to find a specific document. Staff are permitted to come and read in the unsorted books vault, as well as other cordoned off areas, when off duty. The library's owner, Hann Senna, commonly visits the library to read, or for more official matters, such as staff issues or meetings. The owner's dog, Rico, is also often seen in the library, as he lives there rather than in the Lord's manor, which sits in the middle of Kakiobre.
Alterations
After the land on which the library sat was bought by Lady Semma in 1532, the library underwent extensive development, adding two more wings to the original four. Ten years later (1542), yet another two wings were added and construction began on an underground vault. In 1544, a reading garden was added, which was planted with sweet-smelling flowers. The tunnel connecting the library with an office in Kakiobre was built in 1547.
Architecture
The building is largely made of wood, with a stone base. The front and sides of the building feature huge windows that let in huge swathes of light across the wings. The roof uses large timber beams, that are steel-reinforced to allow for the sheer height of the building and lack of stone walls and roof. In order to do this, several distinguished Eserisian architects and engineers were set to design the wall structure. At night, huge lanterns that hang from the ceiling are lit, flooding the building in an orange glow.
History
Work began on the building in 1526 by King Aram Tyler, as a private storage area for governmental documents, construction lasting until 1529. In 1532 the land on which it sat was bought up by Erman Semma, a local lady wishing to expand her property. She opened the library to the public, and construction began on a further two wings. In 1542, she added another two wings and began work on an underground vault. Around this time, the current King, William Tyler, saw the chance to make this the largest library in the world. He ruled that five copies of every book and public document ever published should be sent to the library, which is the reason why it has the largest number of books in the world. The library remains a private store of governmental documents and has two wings for that purpose. In 1573 Lady Semma died of old age, and the land went to her son, Hall Senna. Hall was not as active in the building of the library as his mother, but instead streamlined the system in which the books were managed, and hired much more personnel, as at the time the library was understaffed. This led to greatly reduced running costs, which was proving to be a strain on the wealth of Lord Semma.
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