Library policy discussion

Vocis can live with this, provided all individuals removing books at least 'check them out' with one of the under-librarians.

Library rules, take 2:

Access to books: Any member magus of any rank may study from any book in the library, subject to the restrictions detailed below. Guest magi must receive permission from a journeyman or master and notify the Chief Librarian before studying from a book.

Requesting books: All magi (including guests) must register for the use of a book no later than the season prior to its planned use. If two (or more) member magi wish to use the same book in the same season, priority order defaults to rank unless the magi reach a separate agreement. If the member magi are the same rank, the first magus submitting the request has priority unless the magi reach a separate agreement. Guests are an exception to the normal priority rules. If a guest magus has already reached an agreement to use a book in a given season, he or she receives priority over any member magus.

Removal of books: Masters and journeymen may remove books from the library for study after notifying the Chief Librarian or one of his/her delegates. Books may not be removed from the Andorra covenant grounds without the permission of the Chief Librarian. The Chapter House of Sa Dragonera and all associated Balearic Isles sanctums are considered Andorra covenant grounds, but books taken to those locations must be transported via direct magical gateway or magical teleportation. Pledges and guests of the covenant are not permitted to remove books from the library without the permission of the Chief Librarian.

Liability: If a book is lost or damaged outside the covenant grounds, the magus who requested its removal is responsible for its repair or replacement. If a book is lost or damaged inside the covenant grounds (including the library itself), the Chief Librarian will recommend an appropriate punishment to be verified or amended by the covenant council.

Apprentices: Apprentices may utilize the library if permitted to do so by their masters. The apprentice's master submits all reservation requests and priority is based on the master's rank within the covenant. The apprentice's master is liable for any books damaged or destroyed by his/her apprentice.

Non-magi: Non-magi may utilize the library at the discretion of the Chief Librarian. Terms and conditions of use will be established by the Chief Librarian on a case-by-case basis.

Sounds more than reasonable to me.

It has my endorsement :smiley:

Yeah, well, so did the first proposal until PoB talked you out of it. :stuck_out_tongue:

This is true :mrgreen:

Now that journeymen are no longer restricted from taking books to the Balearics, is Lucas willing to submit all four of his books to the library until they can be copied?

Yes. And you managed to slip that fourth book in very neatly. :wink:

He'd still like for the donation of these books to count for one of his master tasks, however. :slight_smile:

That will be up to the Council of Masters, but Vocis is willing to present it to them on Lucas's behalf.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, here are Lucas's requests for books to borrow from the library for the remainder of 1235. Of course, my plans may become overtaken by events. But I've got to plan at least a little bit ahead.

Spring 1235: Spell texts for Wizard's Leap and Incantation of Paralyzation

Summer 1235: Ad Operationem Corporis

Autumn 1235: Riddle of Mars

You probably don't need to submit actual requests for books via the forum. Just note your plans on the magi planner and we'll treat that as your requests. If the player of a master wants a book in a given season that you've listed, they can claim it from you or just hold off if they're feeling nice. If the player of a journeyman wants something you've already claimed, your claim wins unless you're willing to rearrange. I really don't expect arguments over books to be a major issue. If it is, it just means Vocis and Lucas need to acquire more books. :slight_smile:

Though this does make me realize that Vocis needs to set some upper limit on how many books/seasons can be reserved at a time. I'm thinking reservations can be made a maximum of four seasons in advance by any magus, regardless of rank. Anyone object to that?

That seems a reasonable limit.

As for book choice, there are plenty of books I want to study. If a master or another journeyman wants a particular book, I'm sure I can find another that interests me. :slight_smile:

Odd queston to throw in here- I don't see that the library has a copy of the book on the Caves of Entropy... you would think there would be a copy here, and getting one might be a priority... or is that lack merely an oversite? Or is the book lost and/or destroyed and unrecoverable?

[tab][/tab]We never had such a book. What we do have is minor mentions in the "Catalogue of Magical Beasts and Beings", specifically the commentary written by Antonio Perez of Flambeau, former Pontifex, who made specific comments about local beasties in Andorra. There, in descriptions of a few beings, he will make mention of the caves and past explorations, in the context of "such and such a being was encountered, it looked like this and talked like that, was some sort of what, and it did/done/acted however".
[tab][/tab]Another good place to research is in the covenant records. You are correct in the oversight that there is no copy of the covenant records in the library. This is because this is not where they are kept. They are in the Records Room, adjacent to the council chamber. It is fair to accuse me of making that up just now. But I made passing mention of it once long ago I think. Maybe. There are rules in Covenants (I think) where it says so many years worth of records is equal to a tractatus on Area Lore of the covenant.
[tab][/tab]A third place to research is more difficult, but not impossible. When Carmen inherited her father's old sanctum, she also inherited his personal journals (last used as a McGuffin in the Winter Drake Hunt of Winter 1230.
[tab][/tab]And finally, there does exist a book written by Xagygyrag of Bonisagus. It was submitted to Durenmar a long time ago.

In the absence of any further objections or comments, I'm sticking with the 2nd iteration of the library rules and including a limit of four seasons for advance reservations. I intended to add these rules to the wiki, but since Fixer had already added a page for them (thanks again!) I just updated what he'd posted. Note the updated rules state requests must be made at least one season in advance and no more than five seasons in advance, which works out to planning your book usage up to a year in advance. The link to the library rules is near the top of the library main page.

Looks great to me :slight_smile: