solanpolarn:
As I mentioned in a comment below I have recently been introduced to
Garth Nix, through a friend giving me the Abhorsen series for my birthday
(Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen). They are young adult
fantasy books with their very own world, i.e. not (bad) Tolkien copies.
And in Lirael there is a fantastic library; one of the characters
gets a position as an assistant librarian and is issued a dagger as part
of her uniform...