Your first ten library books, by faction

Why ten, and why there's no rush now

Library books go one at a time to your faction's librarian: Garion Wendell in Stormwind's Mage Quarter for Alliance, or Owen Thadd in Undercity's Magic Quarter for Horde. Each book is its own turn-in quest, which only appears while you carry that book, and every different book counts toward cumulative reward tiers. Ten books earns the first, Friend of the Library; 20 and 25 earn the next two. A player in a 4 October forum thread counted the full set across 21 zones on both continents, which is why collecting all of them feels like a tour. Ten is a much smaller job.

The reason to sprint went away on 8 October. Blizzard gave Truthseeker's Bow, from the 25-book Greater Friend of the Library quest, a level 40 requirement to equip, matching the quest's other two rewards. Before that, beta guides had the quest opening at level 30 and, as Method now notes, the bow usable as soon as you unlocked it. Method still lists level 30 for the quest itself, so the change is to when you can equip the bow, not when you can take the quest. With nothing from the 25-book tier wearable before 40, there's no payoff in racing to 25 books at 30, so your first ten can come from places your leveling already takes you.

Alliance: ten without Orgrimmar or Undercity

Eight of these sit in Alliance zones or Ironforge, and Method groups all ten among the books you can reach in roughly the first 20 levels. The last two are in the Barrens: Ratchet is a neutral port, and Secrets of the Dreamers sits in the cave leading to Wailing Caverns, not inside the dungeon. Spares if one is missing: the Arcanic Systems Manual on the Sludge Fen oil rig in the Barrens, Fury of the Land at Grimtotem Post in Stonetalon Mountains, or The Dalaran Digest at Amber Mill in Silverpine Forest, where Method says the NPCs are neutral to Alliance players.

1. Elwynn Forest: Archmage Theocritus' Research Journal, halfway up the Tower of Azora.
2. Westfall: Rumi of Gnomeregan: The Collected Works, in the Sentinel Hill inn.
3. Westfall: Bewitchments and Glamours, in the first house on the left in Moonbrook.
4. Duskwood: Crimes Against Anatomy, through the Raven Hill Crypt.
5. Ironforge: Archmage Antonidas: The Unabridged Autobiography, in the Hall of Explorers.
6. Loch Modan: Runes of the Sorcerer-Kings, in the ogre cave at Mo'Grosh Stronghold.
7. Wetlands: Goaz Scrolls, in an urn at Whelgar's Excavation Site.
8. Darkshore: Nar'thalas Almanac, Vol. 74, in the Ruins of Mathystra.
9. The Barrens: Baxtan: On Destructive Magics, in Ratchet.
10. The Barrens: Secrets of the Dreamers, in the Cavern of Mists outside Wailing Caverns.

Horde: ten without Stormwind or Ironforge

Seven sit in Horde territory, Orgrimmar or contested Kalimdor. The last three are in Alliance zones but well away from the capitals and the town inns. Rumi of Gnomeregan is left out: Zockify reports that Horde players may not be able to reach the Thelsamar copy and points them to the Sentinel Hill inn instead, which still means walking into an Alliance town. Spares: Bewitchments and Glamours in Moonbrook, Westfall, or the Nar'thalas Almanac in the Ruins of Mathystra, Darkshore.

1. Tirisfal Glades: The Apothecary's Metaphysical Primer, in Brill's alchemy shop.
2. Silverpine Forest: The Dalaran Digest, Vol. 23, in the main hall at Amber Mill.
3. Orgrimmar: The Lessons of Ta'zo, at the large tablet in the Valley of Spirits.
4. The Barrens: Baxtan: On Destructive Magics, in Ratchet.
5. The Barrens: Arcanic Systems Manual, on the Sludge Fen oil rig.
6. The Barrens: Secrets of the Dreamers, in the Cavern of Mists outside Wailing Caverns.
7. Stonetalon Mountains: Fury of the Land, at Grimtotem Post.
8. Wetlands: Goaz Scrolls, in an urn at Whelgar's Excavation Site.
9. Loch Modan: Runes of the Sorcerer-Kings, in the ogre cave at Mo'Grosh Stronghold.
10. Duskwood: Crimes Against Anatomy, through the Raven Hill Crypt.

Before you set out

These lists come from two community guides read on 13 October: Zockify's Library Books guide and Method's Library Books guide, which agree on every spot used here. Both are built from beta reports, not launch data. Zockify still lists two books as moved in Forever and not yet found, and asks players to report others that have shifted. We haven't walked these routes in a client, so treat them as planning lists. Several books are in caves, crypts or enemy camps, so check what is guarding one before you go in alone.

Two counting rules matter. Rumi of Gnomeregan has two copies, in Westfall and Loch Modan, but Method notes it counts only once. And Method warns that, as things stand, a book you delete can't be looted again, so hold on to anything you pick up until you're back at the librarian.