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Library

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Revision as of 19:29, 16 November 2017 by Bouchart (talk | contribs)
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This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.


Libraries are locations. At a library, scholars can write books (scrolls, codices, and quires) and scribes can create copies. Any dwarves in your fortress will go to libraries to read books or idle around, giving them happy thoughts.

If the library permits visitors, scholars from civilizations around the world will come to your library, often bringing books of their own. Scholars will engage in various topics with your scholars and each other, and will sometimes write their own books while visiting (using your supply of writing material in the process). These books effectively become property of your fortress, as the author usually doesn't take their books away upon leaving. On rare occasions, they will petition to become permanent part of your fortress for the purpose of studying.

Visiting scholars can take books and scrolls with them when they leave the fortress. One way to avoid this is to have two libraries. Have one library that forbids visitors and has bookshelves. Have another library that allows visitors and has no bookshelves.

Setting up a library

  • Hit i to designate the zone for your library. Set it to a meeting area with m, hit l to designate it as a location. See the locations page for more details.
  • Build bookcases to store written books.
  • Build containers to store writing material (blank quires and scrolls).
  • Build tables and chairs.
  • Designate scholars and scribes as desired (via the l Locations menu).

Adventure mode

The study area of a human library
An upper floor of a human library, dedicated to storing books

In the rest of the world, libraries are generated structures that can be found in human towns and dwarven fortresses. Like the libraries in fortress mode, they will be frequented by scholars who spend their days discussing scholarly topics. The number of books and scholars in a given generated library depends on the history of the site. A library found in a town with a poor history may be almost empty of books and scholars alike.

The ground floor in a generated library is typically used as a study area, and furnished with chairs, tables and a container with usable writing materials. A ramp-staircase connects the ground floor to higher floors as well as a basement. Basements and higher floors are typically used to store the books, and contain several bookcases. Libraries found in fortresses only have two floors, while those found in towns can span many stories high.

"Library" in other Languages Books-aj.svg aj ashton 01.svg
Dwarven: koshosh
Elvish: dethara
Goblin: ruspdo
Human: adith
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