The Library of Imladris

Welcome to the Library! Here you may browse Elrond's collection of Tomes and Scrolls of Lore or peruse the Tomes and Scrolls of Creativity written by the Elves of Imladris.

The doors of Elrond’s library are carved out of single slabs of redwood. The tree that they were carved from must have been enormous! Upon examining the doors, one notices the many patterns carved upon their borders. The curlicues and fleur de lyses adorning the edges contrast starkly with the plain paneling in their centers. Although they appear to be heavy and cumbersome, the doors open easily upon well-oiled hinges into the library itself.

On either side of the large arc of pink granite in the southern side of the room where the doors are hung, a large delicate pot made of the same stone as the arc contains a fern pale-green with newly opened fronds that rustle softly whenever someone passes by.

Upon looking around, the casual observer can see how the library is arranged. There is a clear aisle down the center of the library, directly in front of the entrance. In the middle of this isle and in the center of the Library, stands a book-standard, upon which rests the Lay of Túrin. Three Corinthian pillars are in the center of the aisle, supporting the vaulted roof. The northern wall is almost entirely composed of windows, the clear glass sparkles in the sunlight, letting Arien’s rays pour into the library, illuminating the many chairs and couches arranged in front of the enormous panes. To the left of the aisle, on the eastern side of the library, the newer volumes are located. If one looks closely, one can see that there is an alcove in the eastern wall with one or two chairs for those who prefer to read in a more private setting. On the western side, the older tomes and scrolls are archived. The Belfry occupies the southwestern corner of the library, but no space has been wasted: the walls of the Belfry are also covered with shelves.

The area along the northern wall of the library is filled with various chairs and couches, most of them occupied by elves quietly poring over their books. Most of the chairs are large, overstuffed affairs upholstered in reddish-brown leather. The couches are the right size to seat up to four elves, and are covered in the same material. Most of the chairs and couches are arranged in clumps around coffee tables made mahogany; most of these tables are covered with opened books and writing materials. Lying open on one of these tables, you can see a book called The Paths of the Dead. A special shelf has been reserved for books concerning the arts of Healing. Running your finger over the titles, you discover the Book of Healing standing there.

The shelves on the western side of the library are constructed from a dark wood. The books that are arranged neatly on these shelves all look relatively new, nothing older than one or two centuries. Most of the tomes have Sindarin titles, but there are a few written in Westron scattered throughout the stacks. Although judging a book by its cover isn’t advised, looking at these, one can tell that there is an incredible variety of things available. The books range from cumbersome volumes with covers carved from slabs of wood, to books of a more standard size bound in colored leather, to unusually small tomes bound in cloth. On a dusty corner, are some red-covered books, and you briefly glimpse the name of one of them, which reads Artifacts. The alcove is visible from the eastern ends of the shelves, and only a few feet away stands a large wooden frame, into which is imbedded a large parchment upon which the Lay of Gil-galad has been written.

The alcove is lit just brightly enough for comfortable reading. Two chairs are placed next to each other at an angle in front of a tapestry depicting Ost-in-Edhil in its glory. There is a screen carved from sandalwood folded next to the entry, that can easily be pulled across the opening should the occupant desire more privacy. The tangy scent of the wood wafts through the alcove, soothing those who sit within.

On the opposite side of the aisle is the emptier section of the library. Heavy reference books and ancient, dust-covered tomes written in Quenya clutter the shelves. There are far fewer elves browsing here, and anyone looking through the books would feel almost like an unwelcome intruder. There are several shelves covered with scrolls, yellowed with age, that have doubtless been left virtually untouched for many years. An inconspicuous door is nestled in between two shelves piles high with scrolls. The door is locked; it is the entrance to Lord Elrond’s Private Archives. A visiting elf would at this point walk on, past the belfry and various tapestries depicting ancient cities of the elves: Menegroth, Nargothrond, Gondolin, and Nevrast, and back to the entrance to the library.

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