Sure, but marginalia and colored inks (and chapter divisions, section headings, etc) is not really the same thing as a modern index. To be fair, these tools aren't really necessary -- most volumes will not be _that_ long, and most collections, even in urban areas, will be limited in size. LM sages should be able to navigate quickly -- they know their (probably small) collections backwards and forwards, and it's not like they care if others can use the materials.
Again, even your urban LM is not going to have a collection even close in size to what any of us on this list have close to hand. My fairly small academic library (~4000 users, ~150,000 items, not counting electronic resources) is likely bigger than any collection anywhere in Glorantha by an order of magnitude. My heavily-weeded home collection, perhaps a couple hundred items, not counting periodicals, is larger than most institutional collections in Glorantha and far bigger than almost any private collection. I can find anything in my collection (assuming I put it back on the shelf when I was finished) in a lazy minute or two, and I have no particularly complex organizational system. I will admit I have the benefit of fairly standard size, shape, materials and titling and authoring conventions, but the basic idea is sound.
As I said in an earlier post, I think that the LM propensity for reorganization is because the LMs see written works as part of their own memories -- reading something is making it "your knowledge" to sell to others. Other literate people (except for LMs, who understand the protocols) are likely to steal things right out of your mind, the bastards. In a small, personal (or clan) collection with one or two LMs, this is no big deal; they squabble but they adapt. In the few big collections, every LM wants the collection to suit his or her mind, and the squabbling is that much more intense. Busarians would think this was so much madness, reflecting with horror on the ghastly price of being in the STorm Tribe instead of the peaceful and ordered Sky People. What IOs might think, I'm unsure -- they'd probably understand the academic in-fighting but think the obsession with personal systems a waste of time.
> > Jane Average Gloranthan, even if literate (making her
>> not average), will need to go to a B, LM, or OI to find
>> anything. Besides, no one is going to let a non-initiate
>> browse in the stacks -- you ask for something by topic,
>> author, or title, and you take what the cultist gives you.
>
>I believe LM regards literacy as a cult secret; it would be
>incredibly unlikely to find a non-LM who is literate (not counting
>the ubiquitous Issaries "tally" or the common runic designations).
>Only initiates of LM are going to be literate (i.e., have the
>Literacy affinity), and remember how difficult it is to initiate to
>LM.
LM's ideas about literacy have force only in the Heortling clan lands and maybe among the upland clans in Ralios and Esrolia. Urban Esrolia has quite a few literacy traditions that have nothing to do with LM. Peolria, of course, has its own literacy conventions, the Praxians are functionally illiterate (knot-writing notwithstanding), and most of the rest of Glorantha is entirely ignorant of LMs opinions. While a clan LM initiate might reasonably get huffy if a foreign literate person showed up, I expect the LMs of urban Esrolia have adapted themselves to the reality of their situation -- fundamentalists seethe about all the "unclean literacy of the unwashed (or over washed) foreigners, but everyone else just takes the foreigner's money and swipes their volumes when the sages get a chance. So, yes, you are correct in clan lands, but not elsewhere. I assume urban Sartar is a mix of cases; more LMs, so they can enforce their ideas, but also more foreign literates, especially in Boldhome. Heavens knows what the "Philosopher King of Sartar" thinks about it -- perhaps hardliners in the cult encourage him to make literacy illegal. The Lunars are confused, amused, and aghast by turns. Much hilarity ensues, especially since the tribal leaders can't figure out what the fuss is....
Considering how blithely players assume literacy, it might be amusing to have a local clan LM sue a literate player character for stealing the god's knowledge -- how many cows is that?
Peter Larsen
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