The Library Treaty
The Icelandic Treaty of Cooperation Between Librarians is a treaty that was signed by the The Great Houses to open up cooperation between them in the sharing of Literomantic knowledge. Colloquially known as "The Library Treaty," this agreement opened up the literomantic libraries of the Great Houses to other House Leaders and House Librarians, and led to the return of numerous literomantic materials to the Houses who originally created them.
Purpose
In the modern age of Literomancy, knowledge is power. The Great Houses have traditionally protected their secrets, and a history of conflict between the Houses also led to the acquisition of the knowledge of other Houses by less-than-ethical means. However, with the ever-present threat of The Undead Horde, the Houses have now entered into a new age of mutual cooperation, codified in The Treaty of the Great Houses. The Icelandic Treaty specifically governs how the Houses will cooperate regarding the sharing of knowledge that is important to them individually, and to their concerns as a whole. In addition, it supports the preservation of literomantic and historical knowledge by permitting member Houses to make copies of each other's material.
Document Structure
Clauses
The treaty is divided into five parts and a preamble.
The Preamble states the purpose of the treaty and delineates the member Houses, along with the signatories who represented those Houses.
Part I is concerned with the sharing of information between the Houses.
Section I governs the sharing of information about the Night Monarchs (Articles 1 through 4.)
Section II governs the sharing of information about The Undead Horde (Articles 5 through 8.)
Section III governs the sharing of information about The Iron Tome (Articles 9 and 10.)
Part II is concerned with access to House libraries by other House Leaders and House Librarians (Articles 11 through 13.) Part III is concerned with the possession, distribution, and copying of individual House material (Articles 14 through 17.) This is the clause which legislates that original material created by individual Houses must be returned to them. Part IV is concerned with the redress of grievances and by under what conditions a House may be expelled from the Treaty (Articles 18 through 20.) Part V is concerned with the ratification of the Treaty, review, and under what conditions a member House may withdraw (Articles 21 through 24.) It also governs the publication of the Treaty and the certification of copies for the member Houses.
Part II is concerned with access to House libraries by other House Leaders and House Librarians (Articles 11 through 13.) Part III is concerned with the possession, distribution, and copying of individual House material (Articles 14 through 17.) This is the clause which legislates that original material created by individual Houses must be returned to them. Part IV is concerned with the redress of grievances and by under what conditions a House may be expelled from the Treaty (Articles 18 through 20.) Part V is concerned with the ratification of the Treaty, review, and under what conditions a member House may withdraw (Articles 21 through 24.) It also governs the publication of the Treaty and the certification of copies for the member Houses.
Caveats
The Treaty comes up for review in ten years (2032) and any House may also leave the Treaty then if notice is provided to all the member Houses.
References
While the Library Treaty does not mention it directly, it is widely recognized that this Treaty falls directly under the terms of The Treaty of the Great Houses.
Publication Status
The text of the Treaty was carved in stone in the library of House Sauropoda, which was believed to be the most secure way to preserve it, in both English and the original Sauropodan language of Dinoglyphics . Certified copies in paper are available for public viewing in the public libraries of most of the member Houses, and the text of the Treaty is also widely available to the general public on the internet.
Legal status
The Icelandic Treaty of Cooperation Between Librarians has been ratified by, and is legal in, all current known House Protectorates.
Historical Details
History
While most agree the Icelandic Treaty was a spectacular victory for diplomacy, its history is not entirely unblemished. AttorraRu, Librarian of House Lapin, took advantage of the terms of the Treaty to acquire access to The Iron Tome while it was in the possession of House Sauropoda in 2023, becoming the next Night Monarch.
Public Reaction
In general, the public took little notice of the Library Treaty, perhaps not fully recognizing its significance. Literomancers, however, and Tome Knights in particular, embraced it as a significant development in peace and cooperation between the Houses, and celebrated the subsequent unprecedented access to knowledge.
Term
The Treaty is considered to be in effect until a member House formally leaves or is permanently destroyed or dissolved.
WIP
Streamer
Missing
Status: Location Unknown
Deceased
Status: Deceased Character
Retired
Status: Retired Character or Article
Type
Treaty, Diplomatic
Medium
Stone
Authoring Date
April 1, 2022
Ratification Date
July 1, 2022
Location
Signatories (Characters)
Signatories (Organizations)
Comments