Learn Ex Libris
Learn the game in 5 short steps. Everything links to the full rules.
Your library and its cards
Your bookshelf is a grid of book cards. Every card carries a letter and a number that place it among the cards with the same letter, plus symbols showing which categories its books belong to. You may grow the shelf sideways or up to three rows tall, but every new card must touch an existing card by an edge. Keep the shelf alphabetized as it grows; the inspector will flip cards that break order.
Rounds and locations
A game lasts several rounds, each with preparation, assistant placement, location resolution, and cleanup. New locations appear each round; the lowest numbered temporary location becomes permanent, so the menu of actions grows. Some actions happen immediately, while others wait until the location resolves.
Place assistants
On your turn, place one assistant on an available space at a village location or on your own library. Locations can help you draw, trade, draft, or shelve books. Each home space lets you either draw one card or shelve one card from your hand.
Collect categories
Six categories appear across the book deck. One is the public Prominent Works category and one is Banned Books. You also have a secret Library Focus. Balance categories as you collect: a strong focus scores well, but the variety bonus rewards your least-collected non-banned category.
Final inspection
When a player shelves enough cards, play one last round. The inspector checks order, finds your largest stable rectangle, awards the Prominent Works leaders, deducts Banned Books, adds your variety bonus, and reveals each Library Focus. The highest score becomes Grand Librarian.