The Library /The Otolith

The Gyllis Public Library, also known as the Otolith, was developed as a renovation of the old Nihilium Library. The library’s outside sports the brutalist architecture of the original building, and the architects that have worked on the building have kept true to that style when adding additional levels and additional wings to the building. Grey concrete walls meet at sharp angles which have been sanded down to make them less of a hazard to the public. The other shocking feature is the lack of windows, which were not implemented to preserve the contents of the library.
Inside the Otolith, architects and interior designers have put significantly more care and emphasis on the welcoming feeling. Lanterns hang on the walls illuminating the shelves with a pale white glow from bioluminescent algae used in the fixtures. The shelves have been carved from boring stone blocks into ornate designs featuring inspired by the local wildlife. In the newer wings, all parts of the interior architecture sport this welcoming design. The stone floors are colored depending on the section of the library you’re in. Each of the four wings represents a different collection of subjects. The North (red) wing is for fiction, the South (green) Wing is for history, the West (blue) Wing is for the sciences and the East (yellow) Wing is for biographies. Within each wing there is a communal area where people may go to sit and read, participate in quite talk, or just exist away from the noise of the outside world.
The age of an area within the Otolith can be determined by looking at the architecture and what is on the shelves. During the early days of Nihilium, literature was stored using digital media, however, they eventually shifted towards engraving wax sheets, as the resources used in the digital media were needed elsewhere. After wax sheets, when Nihilium became Gyllis, books were made using a parchment made from fish skin. Most recently, books have been printed on a prototype water resistant paper that has made its way into the library.
The library is staffed by volunteers from the special interest committee, who tend to gravitate towards areas that host their special interests. Though, there are a handful of librarians that oversee the library as a whole.