Was the Golden Oak library just unpopular or was it declared off limits?

[Senko 459]

I've been wondering this for awhile now yes it became Twilight's home in Ponyville but we never once see a pony just stop by to borrow some books from the library or meet a librarian. So I'm wondering do people think it was just an unpopular location no one used hence its being available for her or was it actually declared off limits as a library once it became her home?

Personally I'm thinking the former given how few pony's actually seem interested in just aquiring knowledge for its own sake in Ponyville (too busy with their jobs or other activiites) so it probably only saw an occasional dusty reference book or new popular book borrowed.

[The Kaeya Simp 13,957]

Maybe ponies just bought books rather than borrowing them

[Guest]

They don't really clarify so we're free to speculate. I think it may have been possible that there was a pony running it before and moved as part of Celestia's arrangements for having Twilight live in Poniville. Maybe one of the background ponies were pulling double duty and keeping after it, like Mayor Mare, and were happy to have it taken off their hooves.

I remember reading a bit of fanfiction about it through seasons 1 and 2. A lot of people fantasized about there being a very old friend of Celestia's keeping after the library and that Celestia was waiting for the day that her friend was no longer capable of keeping after things to move Twilight into it. Twilight would find occasional scraps of this-and-that that linked the old owner to Celestia and it made for a great emotional read.

[SharpWit 2,472]

Didn't Cheerilee pop in once or twice? and we know the cutie mark crusaders borrowed one on hearts and hooves day

A library isn't a great setting to have an episode in because there's only so much you can do in one. There's a set expectation on how to behave in one and you go there for knowledge. Although there are many subjects you could read on, if you need medical help, you go to the hospital. If you'd like to acquire a potion, maybe go see Zecora. Want to learn how to make cupcakes? Ask Pinkie Pie to teach you. Need some help with an animal? Ask Fluttershy what to do? Any questions about apples? Go up to the orange one and you'll learn more than you asked for. The library is a great place without a doubt, but watching Twilight find a book isn't nearly as interesting as a 1v1 interaction between a pony with forefront knowledge and another wishing to acquire it. It's not that ponies didn't go to her, they just didn't go unless they were "stumped" or the animators and writers don't want to create a scene that takes up precious time and adds nothing to the story.

[Brainstorm 4,092]

The Golden Oak Library was popular, it was just destroyed in S4 by Tirek, but Twilight and Spike have a piece of the library in the castle, the Chandelier made from the Library's roots, it's what made Twilight and Spike feel more at home in the castle.

[Twilight Luna 30,940]

The library was used more as a hang out place for the mane 6. No one from town came in to borrow a book or anything. In some fanfics, Twilight would buy new books and give old ones to Cheerilee. Other than that, it was never used as an actual library. It wasn’t never said who lived there before Twilight. On a sidenote, is there a floor plan of the library?

[Clod 8,293]

I think it just wasn't necessary for the show creators to have ponies bothering Twilight to borrow books. There were more important things to do.

[sprinkle nostrils 62]

I bet horses in little town read not very much Or they practice a booksharing.

[King of Canterlot 9,588]

I'm with your first option, it was probably just an unpopular location to begin with, which is why the city was able to give it to Twilight in the first place, because no one else was really using the space anyway. I think over time it also became the second option too, because as Twilight became more known in Ponyville it also became known that the library was her home, so ponies probably would have felt bad intruding into her space 

[AlbaTross 1,581]

I always chalked that up to oversight on the show's part.  I assumed that the library would be open and heck, Twilight didn't lock her door even back then, but maybe it wasn't quite like a regular library.  Like, maybe ponies could talk to Twilight if they wanted to borrow a book, and ask if she had something on a particular subject, rather than just walking into her home uninvited.  

[Wonderbolt Slipstream 263]

I think it was either just unpopular or ponies used it in-between the episodes, I guess the creators didn't think it was valuable enough to show people actually using it.

[Angle Alastor 3,805]

Remember twilight time ? XD idk if that episode counts.

[Senko 459]

2 hours ago, TheNerdyGriffon said:

Remember twilight time ? XD idk if that episode counts.

 

It should but it was originally just her teaching the little sisters of 3 of her friends the rest of the class just sort of stuck their muzzles in and got everyone in trouble for it complete with a revoking of privilages for everyone except the cutie mark crusaders. Plus of course they were there for Twilight not to borrow or learn.

[Ganondox 899]

Maybe it’s not actually a public library, it’s just a collection of books. 

[Senko 459]

First episode Celestia refers to it as a library so it's definately not a book depository.

EDIT

On thinking about it you may have a point there are other types of Library than the borrowing kind and considering its proximity to her old home its possible the Golden Oak Library was something like that. Which would explain how Celestia could arrange for Twilight to stay there without inconveniencing the inhabitants of Ponyville.

EDIT 2

On rewatching Hurricane Fluttershy Rainbow Dash has the ponyville pegasi meet there so maybe its actually still functioning as a normal library while Twilight stays there and we just never see a Librarian because she's on a paid vacation for Twilight's visit.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Senko

[EpicEnergy 22,076]

Maybe it was a library that nopony used anymore.

[Tom Gallagher 33,521]

I think just because Twilight lived there, I don’t think she’d fancy lots of ponies coming over to get books.