Library of B'etqa
| Library of B'etqa | |
|---|---|
The library viewed at night | |
| General information | |
| Status | Tourist Attraction |
| Location | Yvaf'i |
| Country | Assumptaria |
| Named for | Scholar B'etqa |
| Construction started | 28th October 1228 |
| Completed | 29th August 1241 |
| Opened | 1st September 1241 |
| Renovated | circa 1348, circa 1568, circa 1748, circa 1830 |
| Closed | 1852 |
| Client | Assumptarian Government |
| Owner | Assumptarian Government |
| Height | 71m |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Floor area | 60,000 m2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Scholar B'etqa |
| Engineer | Scholar B'etqa |
| Known for | Storing copies of all books headed up or down the H'va river aswell as being the largest deposit of books from the Assumptarian Golden Age |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Scholar 'Uma |
| Engineer | Scholar 'Uma |
The Library of B'etqa (pronounced Yeitsa) is a famous tourist attraction aswell a former public library and headquarters of the Scholar B'etqa whose name the library is derived from. The library is notable for numerous things such as being the largest deposit of literature from the Assumptarian Golden Age, having copies of every book that travelled up and down the Hv'a (pronounced rey) river and also being the largest deposit of books from the period when Assumptaria was part of the Empire of Three Kings. The library is based on a campus, extra storage buildings built after the founding are on the campus and are not attached to the main building.
First beginning as an education center for B'etqa's students and as a library for B'etqa's manuscript library quickly gained recognition up and down the Hv'a river and across the scientific disciplines due to its founder Scholar B'etqa being a renowned polymath and expert and it became recognized as a center of literature and education for intelligentsia and students alike. It was under B'etqa's management that the library gained many reputable Scholars and ambitious students. At this time, the library was non-fiction only and fictious content was banned from being collected on the shelves. It was however when B'etqa died and another younger influential scholar and polymath who had studied elsewhere, Scholar 'Uma asserted control of the library that this ban was lifted and the library was renovated and a new ambition for the library to house a copy of all literature travelling on traders on the Hv'a river began. Before Scholar 'Uma's death, she made a system for her replacement, first she allowed visitors of the library to donate to the library, those who donated the most out of an unknown percentile or contributed a non-fiction manuscript yet to be proven as false got an invite to a "council of donaters" to run the library. This system ran up untill 1830 when it became property of the government. The library was made into a tourist attraction in 1852. Not much is known about the renovations after 'Uma's death.
Founding
The foundation of the library started with a pledge, Scholar B'etqa wanted a central location for him, his works and his students to gather together. He pledged that hebwould make a place where knowledge was free and accessible, Scholar B'etqa using his own personal funds made a budget for the construction of the library which included a personal living space for him and a hall in which he would teach anyone who came to have him as their mentor. Journals from the students never mention whether or not B'etqa hoped for the library to become the large deposit of knowledge it's known for today.
When the building was finished and the library was completed, B'etqa wrote that upon his death that the library would receive all of his personal funds as part of it's treasury, the currency at the time is unexchangable to modern day. These funds helpe the livrary survive until 1348 when an official price began to be charged for taking out fiction books under Scholar 'Uma's management.
The Ban On Fictious Books
Under B'etqa's management fictious books were banned both from being collected on shelves or from being brought in by students, while the papers themselves have been lost journal's from students likely studying the papers or a lesson about them by B'etqa's have confirmed that B'etqa had created a medical theory that reading fiction could lead to a decline in intelligence and reading excessive amounts could lead to mental illnesses he called "Crawlers" or "Q-uya'i" (pronounced sooba-eye) in assumptarian in reference to how they would "crawl" into your mind. This theory was extremely controversial though and would later be disregarded by the medical world after his death.
When scholar 'Uma took control of the library, she removed this restriction however because library funds were starting to decline she implentened a rule that in order to take fiction books off library grounds you'd need to pay a fee, although controversial its estimated that this fee helped the library to continually operate before it became publicly owned.
Religious contributions
'Uma believed that religious contributions counted as knowledge about foreign or domestic culture so they were exempt from his theory and therefore exempt from his ban. Although religious manuscripts still didnt take up much space in the grand library.
Christian Contributions
During the The Empire of Three Kings occupation during 1790 and 1825, the library received an influx of christian texts and manuscripts. So much so that out of all religious texts, christian texts make up 32.5% of all religious texts inside of the library. Their position in the library has recently caused controversy due to the growing assumptarian nationalism belief and their discontent with the idea of christian texts, a non assumptarian religion being stored inside government property.
The Empire of Three Kings' contributions
During the 1790-1825 occupation of Assumptaria by The Empire of Three Kings, the library acquired modern and accurate scientific papers on astronomy, geology and electromagnetic theory. During the library's open period these papers became the most common reason for students and scholars visiting the library and it is estimated that if these papers were not in the library, the nation of Assumptaria's modernization in the 20th century after its isolation would be lengthened by a period of around 18 years.
However for quite a lengthy time, these papers were accessible by only the richest scholars who could afford to learn zhoushi and belgorian. It wasnt until their translations by Scholar 'Iyy'o (Eyeb-boo) that it was accessible to the entire library's patrons, rich or poor.
Public Ownership
In 1830, the library was upon rough times in terms of finances and the council decided that it was the best choice to hand ownership of the library to the government so that it wouldn't be bound by budget. In 1852, the library was made a tourist attraction.
Modern Age Usage
The common public sees the library as just a tourist attraction however academia and history can, with permission from the government borrow texts and scripts from the library for personal use.