New Reno's only "library" is less of a public lending service than a large collection of old books in an apartment building. The building, located in the southwest portion of Bishop territory right near Commercial Row, rests on the corner of two intersecting streets and stands at three stories tall. As you approach the door, you see a simple wooden door with translucent glass laid into the upper third, the word "Library" spelled out in simple, bold, black letters across it.
As you step in, the chime of an old-fashioned bell greets your ears. You soon see that the bell is attached to the door, an old way of alerting anyone inside that someone's arrived. The smell of dust, musty but warm, is next with the first few breaths you take.
In front of you is a large, grand staircase leading upwards to the second floor, lined with old, wrought-wood banisters. The inside is open, all the way to the ceiling of the third floor, giving you a view of the landings all around the second and third stories. Similarly detailed railings line the catwalk-like landings that circle each floor.
Along the walls of the first floor are a few paintings, pictures, or portraits, all in frames but only one or two with the original glass covering it. Some narrow tables are covered in old trinkets, small wooden boxes with seemingly no purpose, and other odds and ends that are little more than decoration from an age long past.
Four doors lead into separate rooms on the first floor, all half-closed and dark inside. Each, for now, has carefully-positioned stacks of books, like cubes of ancient parchment and covers, organized in some fashion or another. In two of the first-floor rooms are what seem to be the start of shelving, although it is a project in the works. Nearby is also a catalogue, bound papers with handwriting, listing the books in the room and a series of numbers, presumably a temporary organization system.
The rest of the rooms are similar, with carefully-organized stacks of books. Each has a wooden chair or two in it to sit and read in, if desired. Half the rooms have still-intact glass in the windows, although the light seems yellowed due to some sort of tinting on the windows. It is homey, warm, pleasant, and soothing. Other windows have been carefully boarded over and sealed.
One room is distinctly different than the rest. The books in this room seem stacked, but not in any organized fashion. There is a desk with a chair in front of it, and a chair behind it. On the desk sits at least a dozen books, several of them open, and all of them aged and worn, looking as if they'll crumble soon. A computer sits there as well, older and bulkier than the typically slim PipBoys that can be transported around. Along with the ancient texts are also fresher manuscripts, looking distinctly more tolerant to years of wear and tear. Behind this desk is an older man, easily past seventy or eighty, with sparse white hair and a thin frame. He has a kind and patient face, a pleasant and sometimes amused-looking smile, and a twinkle in his eyes that shows immeasurable wisdom and intellect. This is Jordan, the owner of the library. Most often, he spends his time refurbishing the worn-down books that have a chance to be saved or transcribing the ones that not even refurbishment would help.
Most books are very old and delicate. The ones in the main rooms will not fall apart under normal, careful use, but they don't look like they will stand up to anyone deciding to play football with them. There is a combination of pre-war texts and post-war pamphlets and manuals, although these are just as uncommon. Many texts are given in digital format, if at all, nowadays. But a larger collection cannot be found in all of Reno and rivals some of the smaller libraries in NCR.
The library has a loose lending policy, since no more than a dozen people in a given year visit the place with legitimate interest in books and there are more than a few that want to destroy the books out of boredom. The library functions more as a collection, devoted to collecting as many books from the world as possible and preserving them. After all, books are uncommon to rare in the world. Jordan's method of lending involves him talking with the person wishing to borrow anything, holding a conversation for a while about various interesting topics. In reality, the pleasant conversation partially serves as an interview; Jordan is a good judge of character, and he can eventually get a good idea whether a borrower will treat the books well and will return them. Once he trusts a person, they're free to borrow and bring the books back as they please, within reasonable limits.
The library is also partially run by Siegfried. He does much of the rest of the management of the building for Jordan, including long-term projects such as organizing the entire collection for easier location of the books. He also can act as bodyguard, when someone is stupid enough to want to mess with the building or the collection. Most of the locals know that it wouldn't be a wise idea.
The library's location and existence is uncommon knowledge. Its location isn't secret, but not many bother to learn or remember that there's a library in town. Chances are, you could live a lifetime in Reno and only hear about it once or twice.
