The Excchange is a library in the City of South Bricklyn where any citizen can go to be connected with other Inland and outland computer networks or databases.
The Excchange is located on the top two floors of the Northeast Corner Building (photo on right). It is one of the five libraries that comprise the Bricklyn Library Network.
The Excchange is the only location in the Realm of Bricklyn where users can download difficult to obtain books from several major Outland library systems, including those of the cities of New York, London, and Paris.
Use of The Excchange is free to all members of the public, and is open 24/7, though reserving a computer terminal is recommended during high use periods, such as holidays and school vacation weeks. ✥
Editor’s Note on a peculiarity of spelling: Readers might have noticed the unusual, archaic spelling of “Excchange.” A brief explanation is in order. In the version of English used generations ago when the Realm of Bricklyn was first established, when a word in which the letter “x” was followed by the letter “c”, the “c” was doubled. For example, the word “excellent” years ago was spelled as “exccellent.”
This practice of the “x followed by a double “c” is no longer used. But to honor Bricklyn’s linguistic heritage, the Bricklyn Library Board decided to name the library “The Excchange” instead of “The Exchange.” The pronunciation of “Excchange” is the same as saying “Exchange” with the second “c” remaining silent. To avoid confusion, only use the spelling “Excchange” when referring to the library building. Other uses of the word do not maintain the double “c”. For example, “I want to exchange this book for another book” does not have a double “c”.
The remaining question, of course, is why “Excchange” and not simply “Library”? For that, take a look at the section of the late Ursula Le Guin’s novel, Always Coming Home on the role of “The Exchanges” in Kesh village life. The Bricklyn Library Board chose also to honor Ms. Le Guin by calling this library “The Excchange,” as it functions in some similar ways, especially in terms of linking with Outland computer networks and databases.
From Always Coming Home: “Computer terminals, each linked to nearby ground or satellite Cities and hence to the entire vast network, were located in human communities worldwide. Any settled group of fifty or more people qualified for an Exchange. … Information went both ways through the Exchanges; the nature and quantity of the information was up to the human end of the partnership. … “
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