How library books work in WoW: Forever

Library books are objects you click in the world, not drops from mobs. Pick one up and a turn-in quest appears for it. Hand it to Garion Wendell in the Stormwind Mage Tower if you play Alliance, or to Owen Thadd in Undercity's Magic Quarter if you play Horde. Each turn-in gives some experience and a little silver.

Every book you return also counts toward three reward quests. The counts are cumulative, so 25 books in total earns all three tiers, not 55.

Two quirks are worth knowing. Rumi of Gnomeregan: The Collected Works sits in both Westfall and Loch Modan but only counts once, and method.gg reports that a book you delete cannot be looted again.

Dee setting a tall stack of old books on a librarian's desk in the Stormwind Mage Tower, a longbow, a round shield and a brass lantern laid out as rewards.
Twenty-five books in at 30. Bow, shield or lantern, each one waits for level 40.

Library book rewards at 10, 20 and 25 books

Friend of the Library, at 10 books, has no level requirement. Pick the Scholarly Pendant (+3 Stamina, +2 Spirit) or Erudite's Amulet (+3 Stamina, +2 Agility).

Greater Friend of the Library, at 20 books, needs level 20. Pick the Philanthropist's Ring (+5 Intellect, +10 spell power) or the Field Researcher's Loop (+7 Stamina, +7 Agility). ForeverChanges notes the Loop stopped being Rogue-only in the level 30 beta update.

A second quest with the same name, Greater Friend of the Library, arrived with that level 30 update, which Blizzard posted on 1 October. It needs 25 books and level 30 to pick up, and offers Truthseeker's Bow, Crest of Elucidation or Researcher's Night Light, each of which needs level 40 to equip.

Which 25-book reward should you pick?

Blizzard's beta development notes, updated 8 October, gave Truthseeker's Bow what they call the correct level requirement of 40, matching the other two rewards from the quest. You can still pick up and finish the 25-book quest at 30, but none of its rewards can be equipped until 40, so choose for the character you will be then.

Truthseeker's Bow is the Hunter pick. In the historical datamine of beta build 1.60.1.70235 it was a Rare, item level 45 bow with 23.8 damage per second, +7 Agility and +3 Stamina and no level requirement, which is why Icy Veins called it the best ranged weapon in the game at 30. Blizzard's note mentions only the level change, so treat those stats as a pre-change snapshot.

In the same datamine, Crest of Elucidation is a shield with +12 Spirit, +11 healing and +4 spell damage, built for Paladin and Shaman healers. Researcher's Night Light is held in the off-hand, with +12 Stamina and +7 fire spell damage, which suits Mages and Warlocks. All three bind when picked up.

A 6 October player thread had argued the bow made Hunters overtuned at 30. Blizzard's note does not mention Hunter balance; the reason it gives is consistency with the other two rewards.

Where to find library books before level 30

Zockify's location map puts a run of books in starting zones, capitals and leveling zones. Some are in the other faction's capital, and many of the rest sit in zones built for level 40 and up. The 25-book quest opens at 30, but its rewards need 40 anyway, so there is little reason to force those detours early.

  1. Elwynn Forest: Archmage Theocritus' Research Journal, halfway up the Tower of Azora.
  2. Westfall: Rumi of Gnomeregan in the Sentinel Hill inn, and Bewitchments and Glamours in the first house on the left in Moonbrook.
  3. Loch Modan: Runes of the Sorcerer-Kings in the ogre cave at Mo'Grosh Stronghold. Rumi's second copy is upstairs in the Thelsamar inn, though Horde players report trouble reaching it.
  4. Ironforge: Archmage Antonidas: The Unabridged Autobiography, in the Hall of Explorers.
  5. Tirisfal Glades: The Apothecary's Metaphysical Primer, in Brill's alchemy shop.
  6. Silverpine Forest: The Dalaran Digest, Vol. 23, in the main hall at Amber Mill.
  7. Orgrimmar: The Lessons of Ta'zo, at the large tablet in the Valley of Spirits.
  8. The Barrens: Baxtan: On Destructive Magics in Ratchet, Arcanic Systems Manual on the Sludge Fen oil rig, and Secrets of the Dreamers in the Cavern of Mists outside Wailing Caverns.
  9. Darkshore and Stonetalon Mountains: Nar'thalas Almanac, Vol. 74 in the Ruins of Mathystra, and Fury of the Land at Grimtotem Post.
  10. Duskwood and Wetlands: Crimes Against Anatomy through the Raven Hill Crypt, and Goaz Scrolls in an urn at Whelgar's Excavation Site.

Library books and Mage Research

For Mages, books also feed Research, the Mage-only skill behind Study and its bundles of scrolls. Zockify reports Research unlocking after the first book turn-in, though Blizzard has not said how many books it takes. Blizzard's 1 October notes still list Mages who learn Research being locked out of it.

Still to come

Not yet settled by our sources or tested in game:

  • A confirmed list of every library book and where it spawns. Fan counts range from 31 to 40.
  • Whether Truthseeker's Bow kept its datamined stats when it gained the level 40 requirement.
  • How many books Mage Research needs.
  • Whether returned books or rewards carry across characters on one account.

Sources

Beta notes are dated because Forever is still changing.