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The Library of the Neitherlands is an archive that contains all knowledge in the universe. There are books about magic and books with a person's entire life; what has been and what will be. Travelers founded The Library and filled it with knowledge from across the universe. Librarians formed the Order of the Librarians, a group that guards and protects the knowledge in the Library. The Library is in control of all magic production of the Wellspring.

Book

In the novels, The Library is formed by multiple buildings that surround the fountains, with opaque windows, and are always closed. There is no communication between the librarians from The Order and outsiders. As the rest of the Neitherlands, the Library was built and preserved by Master Magicians with knowledge beyond any other magician on Earth. During the time the Old Gods were summoned, the buildings start to become ruins and many books were destroyed.

TV version

The Library itself

It is formed by a gigantic underground "tunnel" or basically a basement with at least two levels, where all books and knowledge is preserved, either magical and non-magical, as well as a book with the life of everyone in existence containing everything from that person's birth to death. Although books can change and be "re-shelved" due to the fact that the future can be changed with foreknowledge or time magic. As long as everyone respects the books, the library is open to the public. Damaging or disrespecting any of the books in the library will get you banished from it. There is a group of hooded individuals who are said to be local to the Neitherlands who once worked for the order in a custodial function but after "Labor relations became strained" these locals were banished from the library and cursed so they could not use the fountains.[1]

There are other branches of the library as it is mentioned that inter-library loans typically take 2 to 4 weeks to process but it is unknown exactly where these branches are located. A person can become a librarian of the order by signing a contract stipulating that the order can use their services up to and after their death for no less than one million years, suggesting that even after death a librarian of the order can still serve them in some capacity.

The Poison Room

A room with the most dangerous knowledge in the universe, not accessible to the public and protected by several wards including anti-traveler wards.[2] A book titled "The Art of Killing Gods" was located there but the Order recently moved all the books of every librarian in the Order to the Poison Room. The Poison Room is so called because it is literally toxic to any thieves that enter. After Penny broke into it he became gravely ill and barely escaped in time with the book he needed. He later developed a rapidly growing cancer on his spine Professor Lipson called "cancer plus".

TV Differences

  • A primary difference between novels and TV series is that in the Syfy adaptation, the Library is open to everyone knowing how to reach it and they also differ in appearance. The Poison Room appears only in the TV series.
  • In the novels, Penny got his hands eaten off. He gets the job as Librarian and is taught how to regenerate his magic, not to mention that he gains huge magical power. This, however, doesn't happen in the Syfy adaptation. In the TV series, he joins the Order to help Kady defeating Reynard the Fox.

References

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