Librarian (Species)

The Librarians are widely agreed to be the oldest of the Library's inhabitants, with the possible exception of the being known as the Author, who some maintain was responsible for creating the Librarians in the first place. They are also the most common species inhabiting the Library, especially on the Main Levels.

Physical Description
Librarians are typically bipedal humanoids, ranging in height from three feet or less to more than ten feet tall. They have perhaps the greatest physical variety among the inhabitants of the Library; some have two arms, some have four arms, others have six, and one unfortunate individual was recorded as having none at all. Typically, Librarians wear heavy robes or cloaks that obscure their bodies, although their glowing green eyes and white teeth can be seen shining through. They tend to have dull grey or black exoskeletons, although red Librarians have been observed.

Biologically, Librarians are sexless. There have been reported sightings of young Librarians, but no process of physical reproduction seems to exist among the species. Being functionally immortal (native, as they are, to a timeless world), population replenishment is not a pressing manner. New Librarians are believed to be born through magic, whether that be the actions of the Author or of other Librarians. Some Librarians have adopted the notion of gender from humanoid travelers in the Library, although the vast majority have no notion of it.

Cultural Description
Librarians act according to purposes that seem bizarre or single-minded to humanoid patrons of the Library (as well as to certain other denizens). Most have a single task for which they are named-- in theory, for example, a Librarian whose role is to maintain the books of knowledge deemed too dangerous for consumption would be known as the Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge. Although exceptions are known, almost all Librarians spend their eternal lives in some form of dedicated service to the needs of the Library. This can lead to them seeming unpredictable or amoral to those who are unfamiliar with them-- their moral compasses, as it were, point neither north, south, east, nor west, but in the direction of the nearest stack of books.

There is a loose hierarchy among the Librarians. The task that a Librarian performs is not necessarily indicative of its social rank-- a Librarian tasked with dusting the shelves does not do so because they were ordered to by a higher-ranking Librarian, but in service of a deep-seated need to keep the Library clean. It is known that some Librarians are viewed as elders and arbiters by the community. These individuals, known as Abbots, oversee the other Librarians and work in concert to make decisions affecting the Library as a whole.

Behind the Scenes

 * Librarians were originally created by Goo in a reddit post on December 4, 2020
 * Librarians were officially made canon on December 18, 2020
 * Librarians were the first species created for the Library