Library of Teel

The Library of Teel (colloquially „The Block“) is located in the Free City of Teel , where it is one of its largest and most significant buildings. It harbors written works of many kinds and offers a wide array of wisdom, history and entertainment to the general public. Citizens visit the Library of Teel for a multitude of reasons: While young scholars study scrolls and books still new to them, scribes are eagerly at work to fill the library's evergrowing archives. Meanwhile, regular townsfolk finds particular pleasure in reading 'true' stories based on other peoples experiences; regularly organizing popular read-out-sessions in a lavish lounge inside the complex. Mandres , brother of Thos, is vital to the establishment, preservation and expansion of the library and functions as its chairman.

History

Founding and expansion

The founding of the Library of Teel is inextricably linked to the achievements of one Mandres. Relying on knowledge he obtained in Harkom, he was able to re-establish common printing methods in Teel within a few years after stranding on its shores alongside the first settlers. Being quite protective of his technique, he managed to preserve a monopoly on the printed word within the Free City's borders. With the help of devoted followers and curious scholars, Mandres launched The Harkom Herald, Teel's first and – to this day - only continuous newspaper in 23 AS.
Said publication grew in popularity rather quickly and prompted Mandres to modify and expand his already spacious printing facility. By 24 AS, a separate building wing was ceremoniously opened and crowned Library of Teel. In the beginning, its offerings were limited to every single edition of The Harkom Herald (an ongoing tradition) and several texts recounting historical events of its peoples culture; before and after The Stranding. Additionally, some fictional works, authored by a team under strict creative supervision of Mandres, were available from the start.
Starting in 38 AS, the mayor's office decided to put the growing number of Teel's administrative documents, records or certificates under the Library's stewardship. While this entanglement was met with a skeptical frown by some, the mayor's office justified the move with spatial and logistical needs that could not be met on the city hall's property. Overall, the cooperation considerably assisted the Library in building a prestigious reputation amongst common people.
The Library of Teel was subjected to several more upgrades and expansions in the coming decades, shaping it to be the Free City's biggest building regarding usable area. While these additions allowed the Library to become one of Teel's social focal points as well as to foster a remarkable amount of written documents, they where mostly realized with functionality in mind. After its second extension in 68 AS, the Library of Teel's structural conditions resembled a huge square in the eyes of some citizens, thus coining its lasting nickname: The Block.
Influenced by evolving tastes and sentiments, Mandres and his committee decided that the building's external appearance did not meet their aesthetic requirements any longer. Therefore, extensive renovations were ordered in 86 AS. A large, overlapping tent roof was built and entrenched itself as the Library's new characterizing feature. Elaborate stone carvings, graceful windows and many buckets of finest white paint were used to round off the modernized building's prepossessing presence. The Library's nickname however – according to rumour not too popular amongst Mandres and his subordinates – remains.

Recent history

Admist rapid technological advancements linked to Athem , recent years saw the Library lose some of its allure to the general public. By many observers, the invention and subsequent refinement of Ishi Mirror in 91 AS is seen as cause for this. While their early versions where fairly clumsy and often left initiated users unsatisfied, following iterations started to impress the people and managed to dig away customers no longer content with static text and stories based on their companions' imagination: Via an opinion polling in 102 AS, almost 70 percent of all participating citizens stated that they „regularly use Ishi Mirrors“ or „intend to try them out in the near future“.
A majority cited „entertainment“ as their main reason, others were (and still are) fascinated by their window into other worlds on a deeper level. Laboriously, they try to piece together as much as possible about the many realms connected by and to Athem. Their troubles in transcribing what they saw are aggrivated by the prohibition of Ishi Mirrors inside the Library of Teel, where townsfolk usually finds easiest access to writing material.

Cats

Scholars, scribes and avid readers are not the only beings to frequently roam the Library of Teel: Dozens of different cats populate the halls, corridors, shelves and reading tables, making „The Block“ their home since the institution's earliest days. This peculiar decorum can be traced to its founding father, too: After Mandres lost his wife Klaasje during The Stranding, he promised to honour her legacy by cultivating and caring for her beloved animals on his new home turf. Miraculously, all nine of Klaasje's cats survived the fateful shipwreck and accepted the Library as their place of shelter immediately,
The feline fellowship is mostly welcomed by guests and customers, as it rarely causes disturbance and seems to be rather uninterested in the human matters on site. Nonetheless, visitors often try to earn the cats' affection by offering them snacks or little gifts.

Criticism

During its founding years and in times of high demand, the Library of Teel and the decisions made by its powerful figures were seldomly scrutinized. Inconvenient questions were mostly whispered behind close doors. A sense of thankfulness towards Mandres and his underlings for their groundwork prevailed. Especially with Ishi Mirrors proving to be a disruptive technology to some users however, criticism was slowly uttered in a more candid and revealing way.
Accordingly, a major point of critique pertains the handling of topics connected to Athem in any way. While a certain dearth of literature focussing on Juru culture was noticed early on, a dismissive attitude towards Athem became fairly obvious as texts regarding the much-discussed new technology made their way into the Library only sporadically.
The rejective stance towards Ishi Mirrors, a resulting feud between Mandres and his brother Thos or persistent rumours regarding Mandres' possible involvement in the Juru Printery Fire of 91 AS further illustrate the Library's strained relationship to all things Athem. Detractors point out that this position stands in stark contradiction to the Library's self-proclaimed goal – to be a „haven of knowledge to celebrate past, present and future alike“.

Type

Library