Nestled in silent regard, the three-storied edifice now bearing the name Orne Library stands as a solemn successor to its ill-fated antecedent, lost in the inscrutable conflagration of 1878 whose origins remain blurred in that uncertain haze where memory and myth entwine. This modern incarnation houses not only the revered Orne collection but also an expeditionary array of over four hundred thousand volumes, some verging on singularity amidst the world’s great libraries. Within its walls, the student of the mundane may brush shoulders—mostly unwittingly—with those in search of truths that civilization labors to forget.

Holdings and Collections

The scope of the Library crosses both the boundaries of time and the map of human preoccupation. Among standard reference tomes and contemporary works, the discerning inquirer will find relics relegated to locked alcoves and secured vitrines—obscure manuscripts, eldritch texts, and annals chronicling the shades and contortions of New England’s history, such as the spectral aftermath of the colonial witch delirium. The Audio Collections house select recitations and arcane narrations for the advent of the spoken word. Our Video Collections serve as a window into recorded examinations, while the Special Collections encase legend and infamy, with listings of prohibited titles accessible only to those whose credentials and resolve withstand scrutiny.

Administration and Staff

Library Administrators

• Dr. Henry Armitage, Director – A seasoned guardian of knowledge whose range includes cryptography, debate, European literature, and the darker dialects of language. Office: 512 Orne.
• Ms. Asenath Waite, Chief Law Librarian – Authority on the labyrinths of legal reference, sentinel to the more dangerous contracts of law.
• Mrs. Diane Loring, Reference Librarian – Specialist in Latin and French, and intermediary to those seeking direction among the maze of volumes.

Library Staff

• Margaret Green
• David Victoria
• Joe the Shelver
• Napolean (canine custodian)

Every volume within these consecrated aisles—especially those shaded behind the veil of Special Collections—remains under vigilant oversight, secured against the trinity of fire, larceny, and neglect. Entry to these privileged holdings is granted only through measured process and by explicit request for individual works. Professorial prerogative eclipses all others in matters of access.

The Vault and Exhibit

In the cloistered depths beneath, the Vault preserves an inventory of anomalies unearthed, donated, and, on occasion, acquired through means not fit for casual conversation. The objects within—many gleaned from faculty expeditions across the continents—bear reputations as dubious as their provenance. Some are whispered to thrum with archaic power, and though public presentation is seldom permitted, select scholars may, upon approval, examine these rarities for purposes of research and containment.