# The library and scribes *The Urth list — 1 messages, 1 voices, 11 Jul 2003* > Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright > in each message remains with the person who wrote it. > Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original > archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than > retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact. --- ### Lisa Schaffer-Doggett *11 Jul 2003, 01:48* It was written: How extensive is the Library again? My impression is that it contains every book written. It's meant to be Borges' infinite library. Probably Father Inire has something to do with it's construction. >> Doesn't Severian remark to the effect that 'surely the rabble of the >> city are not permitted here'? I don't recall him receiving an answer, >> do you? >> >> In a society that does not have mechanical printing, where would be >> the most likely place to find a scriptorium? > Plausible. > > But no clue that the Commonwealth _is_ a society without mechanical > printing. Ultan and Cyby are Curators not Scrivenors. My other impression is that the Commonwealth has not seen any new books in a long time. It is a society in utter stagnation. Don ---