Furinalmi

Furinalmi (Mirselec "Library", lit. "Book-Storeroom") is the Mirselec word for a library; more specifically, it refers to the neighbourhood in Precinct 6 on the East Bay which is centred around several libraries.

It is normally taken to include the so-called Library Square - a city block comprising the Risevani National Central Library, the University of Isana Library for Arts and Social Sciences, the Risevani National Archives and several other buildings - as well as the adjacent streets and the nearby Izuriwa Park. The area is served by Izuriwa Station on the East Bay Line, which exits near the park, as well as Madrenase Station on the same line which is nearer the cafes.

History

The Library Square originally comprised just the Central Library and the National Archives, both of which have been housed there on royal-granted land since the 1840s. In 1949, after the Fourth Global War, the University Social Sciences Library was also moved to that site, and before long the area became famous for its libraries and the large groups of university students and other people who gathered there to study and read.

In the 1980s and again in the 2010s, as part of drives to promote reading habits, new buildings were added to the same block; the Central Library was expanded to include many films and multimedia resources as well, and during the latest upgrade the New Arts and Social Sciences Library building was built, with 5 storeys devoted to resources on arts and social sciences, as well as performance, seminar and lecture theatres. New libraries include the Film Library and the Military Library.

Present-Day

Furinalmi stands in contrast to many of the other areas in the East Bay financial district as a student-filled, generally intellectual place. The rows of shophouses which flank Library Square are home to many famous cafes and small restaurants, often with discounts for students; many come to the cafes to play music, engage in debate, or just relax before and after studying.

Izuriwa Park, which lies between Library Square and Sansertha College, University of Isana, is another favourite gathering area and often hosts student fairs from Sansertha and other nearby colleges; ever since 2004 annual concerts have been held in the central field of the park, organised by the university and with the aim of raising funds for needy students, and the event has also become a part of Isanani cultural life.