Tis old, tis wise, tis filled with knowledge. More than any other being could possibly need, more than anyone in the right mind could want. Knowledge is power, and power is easily corrupt in man. But in this book, your knowledge will be added to with simple lore. Nothing more, nothing less lore is just as important as battle tactics. It's history that teaches us about what we have been through as any race.
This place was built a long time ago, by traveling merchants looking to store their wares. Most of what they sold was illegal goods, but more importantly- information. This information was stored in tomes, scrolls, envelopes and they needed a place to store everything for safe keeping. Their travels brought them all over Northrend, from here to there. These merchants were suave and sophisticated.
One thing they did not count on, or did and forgot, was that all men die. All creatures die eventually, and their stock of 'information' was still left sitting in that house. Back then, the Sage library was much smaller and far more compact than what it is today. But these men either forgot it, or completely died off and the secret of this place with them. So there it sat, for many centuries.
One average day, a group of tired and exhausted monks came across this old abandoned house. They were weary from travel and needed a place to rest, they also possessed no currency for an inn. So they set up camp within the old house, they also began to investigate it's contents. They mainly searched for any threats so they would not be attacked or killed while they slept. Everything seemed fine, until they stumbled across the old bits of information.
Upon further inspection, they noticed what these tomes were keeping inside. They had no interest for plots and deception of centuries past, they merely wanted spiritual enlightenment. So they burned the greedy papers and stocked the small amount of books they had with them. Light reading on the road, and some of it was geographical charts and maps. Knowledge was power to them, a power they did not take for granted.
They realized, with the abundance of traders that eventually came through and the plentiful livestock as well as the farm nearby, they did not need to leave. So they settled down and began to work on restoring the home, and eventually building on more from the nearby trees, taking lumber and stone from the earth. They gave back of course, but it provided them with everything they could possibly need. Years passed and they grew to allow others, from pilgrimages, to settle with them and learn their ways. Many would come, few would be accepted.
Over the years, they were to be known as 'Sages' and 'Hermits.' They did lose their original ideals of being monks, and began to turn towards learning the arts of magic and mysticism. They gathered tomes and scrolls of knowledge over the years. From travelers, merchants, lost travelers paying for their way to stay in the Library for more than a night. After a long while, they accumulated GREAT shelves full of knowledge.
Today, it's a reputable palace of knowledge and wisdom. Many flock here to learn new information, train in the ways of a Sage, and just to visit. Many of the Sages have been here for decades, some of them for nearly a century. All knowledge flows through here, in tomes, scrolls, and Sage's words.