There is a podium seating two, with an index of the library content. There are several numbered booths against the wall to the left of this, where customers can sit until assistants can assist them. Next to this are typically several tables, each with a book holder (a special wooden device that allows a book to be placed with safety, pages turned, and pages marked with soft thin ribbons). There is a large desk (big enough to put a map on) with various quills and inks, writing parchment, palimpsests, and notebooks on both sides, with a small splash panel to prevent ink spills. Books to be returned have a special spot on the desk to keep spills off them.
In one corner is a set of special cleaning materials to prevent dust and moisture. At a podium there are special rages for ink and drink spills. A series of chairs that have space for a lamp or candelabra for illuminating the book rows sit outside this corner area – this is where assistants wait to support customers.
There is a small lectern area, where a high rise podium and seat is positioned to see the entire library. Off this lectern area are several private chambers with provisions for copying.
There is a backup index in a stone Reliquary Room (double locked), in a fireproof box. Scrolls are typically wax sealed in tubes of wood or bone. Old and rare books may be in a secondary cover with a lock and/or seal of some kind.
Typical Sections (each has book and scroll sections):