Forgotten Realms questons about books and libraries

[Psionicist]

Two quick ones:

1) Is the library in Candlekeep the largest one in Faerun? Or are there any bigger around? How many books are collected in this library?

2) Approximately, how many different books are there in Fareun, exluding personal books as spell books, diarys, journals and such without real value (including diarys and journals of real heroes)? Simply put, how many valuable books excuding spell books are there in Fearun?

Thanks!

 

[Davelozzi]

1) Yes, I believe it is, although I believe there is also a pretty substantial library that's part of the new cathedral that Cadderly built in the Snowflake mountains/

2) I don't know.

 

[Psionicist]

1) Yes, I believe it is, although I believe there is also a pretty substantial library that's part of the new cathedral that Cadderly built in the Snowflake mountains/

2) I don't know.

Thanks Dave! I need this information for a character I'm building...

 

[dagger]

There use to be a very cool Candlekeep book collection download on the Wizards web site, trying to find a link to it now. Had probablly around 500 book titles for FR. Including names, authors, date, and some other information about each title, was pretty neat.




Edit: BINGO! http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/FR_20001129b.asp

Okay, so its not 500 books, but its still a lot...

 

[Psionicist]

There use to be a very cool Candlekeep book collection download on the Wizards web site, trying to find a link to it now. Had probablly around 500 book titles for FR. Including names, authors, date, and some other information about each title, was pretty neat.




Edit: BINGO! http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/FR_20001129b.asp

Okay, so its not 500 books, but its still a lot...

WOW! Thanks dagger! That info is very cool

 

[dagger]

I also think there is a pretty large library in Hearlds Holdfast near Silverymoon, and there is a large library in Silverymoon as well I belive.

 

[Psionicist]

I also think there is a pretty large library in Hearlds Holdfast near Silverymoon, and there is a large library in Silverymoon as well I belive.

How large, may I ask? Larger than Candlekeep?

 

[Victim]

Silervymoon's library, the Vault of Sages IIRC, isn't as big as Candlekeep, but it's in the North.

There are probably pretty impressive libraries in Thay, Halrula and Calimshan as well, but access will probably pretty restricted to these.

 

[dagger]

I think its part of a wizard school, so I assume its fairly large. I'll look when I get home tonight.

How large, may I ask? Larger than Candlekeep?

 

[chatdemon]

There use to be a very cool Candlekeep book collection download on the Wizards web site, trying to find a link to it now. Had probablly around 500 book titles for FR. Including names, authors, date, and some other information about each title, was pretty neat.
http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/FR_20001129b.asp

If yall are looking for more titles to add to a library, you might try checking out the list on Randy Richard's World of Greyhawk Fan Club site: http://members.aol.com/WoGFanClub/library.html

It is a bit GH slanted, and some of the titles are a little silly, but it has provided me with an idea or inspiration now and then, so it might be worth a look.

Also, as to the query on whether other libraries are bigger than Candlekeep, AFAIK, the answer is no. All canon FR references I have ever seen, including the intro movie to Baldur's Gate 1, state that Candlekeep is the most extensive library on all of Faerun, and possibly Toril. I like to think of Candlekeep as being somewhat like the vatican; a religious fortress town dedicated to archiving knowledge and wisdom (don't bother with corrections on the Vatican's role, my interpretation here is one possible way of looking at its purpose, and is meant only as an analogy so people can get a feel for what Candlekeep is like).