On the matter of the library

I declare Lois Maxwell the champion of this debate. Trophy to follow.


Lord Abendroth

Squire Radley wrote:  "I must trust & have faith in our Lords & Ladies to lead us & make wise decisions."  As mst we all, however as we are all aware such is not alwys the case, particularly when said decisions are made by those with no understanding of the particulars of the matter at hand.  Squire, do you know the average cost of a manuscript, codex, or tome?  Those I have made are all leather bound and use first rate parchment and good ink. 
I would in no wise want someone making decisions on such works without any obligations to preserve the same.

While that adds a bid to the cost, it also significantly adds to the work's shelf life.

Lois, I am exhausted after my match in Loez.  After I rest a bit I will parse your last and reply.

Lois,
   At no point did I ever say the merchants guild was illegal. You are putting words into my mouth. Please stop.
   I never said my time and effort as a warrior was more valuable than yours as a scholar.
   I stated that both have value.
   If you want me to protect you while you go out adventuring I expect monetary reimbursement just as you should for the essence required to create psalms, scrolls, canticles, and ballads.
   The above statement does not claim inference or declare that I would demand all that which was recovered in said adventure. Only a fair share.
   Example, 4 scholars ask myself to escort them on a journey into the wood in search of lost satchels. On the way 7 lizard kin attack us. I dispatch them. I would expect To receive the specie from said lizard kin while giving the 4 scholars any thing else discovered provided it did not fall under the jurisdiction of the church such as altars, fonts, holy symbols ect. On this adventure 4 satchels are found. I would be more than happy to let each scholar take a satchel even if I had found one of them. For I had recieved the specie from the defeated lizard kin.
In a different senario no satchels are found but the 7 lizard kin were still fought and dispatched. I would share equally with the 4 scholars.
   En redux: my time is of value, my martial ability is of value. Your scrolls are of value. If you wish to have me help you collect finances for your scrolls then I must be compensated fairly.
   Now about the cost of creating tomes manuscripts and codescies. While I acknowledge the value of the knowledge and wisdom they hold. They in an of themselves do not have a monetary value. Not on the open market. They do in so much as the cost of parchment, ink and binding. These expenses are the cost of your profession just as for mine it is the cost of getting new armor and weapons made, or having the ones I have repaired, balanced,  honed, and girded. it is the "cost of doing business" if you wish to create tomes ect. Then you must pay the cost. If you wish to fund this by adventuring as opposed to selling scrolls then that is your prerogative. If on your fund finding adventure you ask me to escort. Then I as stated above expect to be reimbursed fairly for putting myself in harms way for you. Or as I have stated previously you can take your chances on adventuring alone.
   Another point where you put words in my mouth which I again ask you to stop is where you mistakenly though that a library having it's own source of income and a library making a profit were one and the same. On this you are factually wrong. Again as a result of your hubris and putting words in my mouth. If the library were to break even or function at a loss (which as far as I know it has been doing another NOT to the detriment of the barony) I would not see it as falling under the jurisdiction of th merchants guild. However were it to make a profit then it would then fall under the jurisdiction of the merchants guild. And I from a moral and ethical stand point see that as being bad and would be to the detriment of the people.
   Again never have I mentioned illegality aside from correcting you on where you mistakenly used it.
   For those who have not been able to follow me I will make things more clear
A: it is not my duty to assist others in their profession with out fair compensation for time and effort
B: it is the duty of scholars to stock the library
C: libraries should not generate a profit
any profits generated by the library would cause it to fall under the jurisdiction of the merchants guild
E: being under the jurisdiction of the merchants guild could and likely would interfere if not prevent the flow of knowledge, wisdom and information to and throughout the people's of the barony (no mention of legality... Again stop putting words into my mouth)
F: books cost money
G: expense of creating books is the cost of doing business which the scholar having chosen to Pen said book has volunteered to bare.
H: the information contained within books is valuable
I: the flow of information should not be restricted.

The harder you try and work and fight and the more faulty circular logic you try to use to prove me wrong, while commendable in your tenacity, only strengthens my stance that I am correct, in that we do not need a second library, and libraries that function to produce a profit are to the detriment of the people's of the barony.

Brax, it seems as if you are making poor decisions in regards to your time. If you require compensation from someone asking a favor of you, then ask it, if they cannot provide it.. then do not assist them.

Other then that, I'm having an issue seeing the other notes of interest on this posting board due to the extreme clutter from this one. I pity whomever has to tidy this thing up.

Brax' points are very clear to me, and bring up a point which is all too prevelant in our town.  To wit, the hangers on who attach themselves, unofficially to a fighter during one of the many combats which occur during a typical segment of time in Travance.  The fighter type dispatches the marauding creature(s).  The fighter type continues to fight said marauders, while non-combants loot the fallen bodies for valuables, weapons, and essences, giving no heed or (usually) or portion to those who killed the creature, regardless of need, 

I realize this is straying far from the topic at hand (well, not so far from an ethical point of view), but it all ties in to the concept of making a living from penning one's books (something I personally have not consdiered, but then, I have the means to spend many baronial notes and much gold for the betterment of the library.  This is one of those areas in which my contributions, to highlight a comment by the Chancellor of Trade, are taken for granted by most.

Should a scholar desire to be compensated for the materials used in the consturction of their works, there are ways.  Indeed, for a few months I was hiring scholars at 2-3 gold per hour to perform research for the church and myself.  Interest did not maintain itself, so I ceased. 

If it's the cost of the books, manuscripts, etc... is your concern, then maybe a mercantile basis for the library would be a good thing?  You were hiring scholars yourself at one point, making it a business. The authors & owners would be recouped in the cost of making such if they charge for people to read or get access to the works.

If your other concern is as you said... "such is not alwys the case, particularly when said decisions are made by those with no understanding of the particulars of the matter at hand." , then do as I stated before.  Speak with the Count, the Baron or with any of the appointed Lords & Ladies & tell them.  That for all the accomplishments, hard work or whatever merits the person has done, it does NOT deem them worthy to be in charge of the matter at hand.