The Arcanaeum
Location ID
WinterholdCollegeArcanaeum
The Arcanaeum or the Ysmir Collective [1] serves as the library for the College of Winterhold in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is overseen by Urag gro-Shub , it houses over 100 books which can be read but not removed from the library.
History [ ]
The Arcanaeum contains documents that reportedly date back to the late second era .[2] Urag tries to keep as much knowledge available to the mages as he can and takes his job very seriously.[3] The library was rescued from destruction in the east, and became the cornerstone of academic life at the College.[1]
Quests [ ]
"A mage is only as good as what he knows."
―Urag gro-Shub[src]
Speaking with Urag gro-Shub about any documents that might explain the connection between Saarthal and the Psijic Order , he confesses that the needed documents were recently stolen by an apprentice by the name of Orthorn, who took the books and ran off to Fellglow Keep to join up with a group of mages who left the College. Urag asks the Dragonborn to retrieve three such stolen books, Night of Tears , The Last King of the Ayleids and Fragment: On Artaeum .
If Urag Gro-Shub is asked to help locating any rare books, he will then ask for an assistance with locating Shalidor's Insights , rare manuscripts scattered across Skyrim.
The Dragonborn needs to recover an Elder Scroll to travel back in time to Alduin 's defeat atop the Throat of the World , so Urag gro-Shub is able to provide the Dragonborn with two texts on the Scrolls, Effects of the Elder Scrolls and Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls , one of which is authored by Septimus Signus . As a former member of the college, Urag knows his whereabouts and directs the Dragonborn to him.
Four ancient tomes written in the Falmer Language are scattered throughout the Forgotten Vale . They can be sold to Urag gro-Shub, and for each Unknown Book, he will award 1000 and a translated version of that book.
After joining the College of Winterhold, Urag may send the Dragonborn to collect various rare books for some gold. Once enough are collected, he sends word to the Orc strongholds so that the Dragonborn can gain entry.
If the Dragonborn has already sold an Elder Scroll to Urag gro-Shub, it must be bought back. He will sell it back for 4,000 , unless the Dragonborn is the Arch-Mage , in which case he can be persuaded to sell it for half of that. However, if the Dragonborn is not yet the Arch-Mage, Urag can still be persuaded to sell it back for 3,000 .
Four ornamental rings that are needed to complete the quest are stored in the Master Investigators Box . The box may be opened with the Investigator's Key, or picking the Master-level lock. Note that opening the box to take the rings is counted as stealing , so one needs to avoid Urag gro-Shub's detection. Either waiting after Urag retires to his room at night, or going there immediately after completing "The Eye of Magnus " quest, since Urag will not be present in the room too.
Books [ ]
On the shelves, tables, and floor [ ]
Click to show
A Dance in Fire, Book I
A Dance in Fire, Book III
A Dance in Fire, Book IV
A Dream of Sovngarde
A Minor Maze
A Gentleman's Guide to Whiterun (2)
An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim (2)
Ahzirr Traajijazeri
Alduin is Real
Argonian Account, Book 1
Argonian Account, Book 3
Beggar Prince
Biography of Barenziah, v1
Biography of Barenziah, v 2
Biography of Barenziah, v 3
Brief History of the Empire, v1 (2)
Brief History of the Empire, v2
Brief History of the Empire, v3
Brief History of the Empire, v4
Cats of Skyrim (2)
Chance's Folly (2)
Darkest Darkness
Dragon Language: Myth no More (in a bookcase)
Dwemer Inquiries Vol I
Dwemer Inquiries Vol II
Dwemer Inquiries Vol III
Fall From Glory (3)
Fall of the Snow Prince
Galerion the Mystic
Great Harbingers
Herbane's Bestiary: Hagravens
Horker Attacks
Immortal Blood
Killing - Before You're Killed
Kolb & the Dragon
Lost Legends
Magic from the Sky
Mysterious Akavir
Mystery of Talara, Book I
Myths of Sheogorath
Nightingales: Fact or Fiction?
Nords Arise! (2)
Nords of Skyrim
Ode To The Tundrastriders
Of Fjori and Holgeir
Olaf and the Dragon
On the Great Collapse
Palla, volume 1
Pension of the Ancestor Moth
Pirate King of the Abecean (2)
Rising Threat, Vol. I
Short History of Morrowind
Song of the Askelde Men
Songs of the Return, Vol 2
Songs of the Return, Vol 19
Spirit of Nirn
Surviving a Horker Attack
The Black Arrow, v1
The Book of Daedra (2)
The Book of the Dragonborn
The Cake and the Diamond
The City of Stone
The Code of Malacath
The Dragon War
The Dunmer of Skyrim
The Falmer: A Study
The Great War
The Holds of Skyrim (2)
The Legend of Red Eagle (2) starts Quest: "The Legend of Red Eagle ."
The Madmen of the Reach
The Oblivion Crisis
The Ransom of Zarek
The Rise and Fall of the Blades
The Song of Pelinal, v5
The Song of Pelinal, v6
The Song of Pelinal, v7
The Windhelm Letters
The Wispmother
The Wolf Queen, Book II
The Wolf Queen, Book III
The Wolf Queen, Book IV
The Wolf Queen, Book V
The Wolf Queen, Book VII
The Woodcutter's Wife
Troll Slaying
Uncommon Taste
Wabbajack
Yellow Book of Riddles
Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts
For sale [ ]
Click to show
Urag gro-Shub also sells books in the Arcanaeum, and the stock seems to change between different saves. His shop stock updates every 48 in-game hours.
Sixteen Accords of Madness, Book VI
Sixteen Accords of Madness, Book IX
Sixteen Accords of Madness, Book XII
2920, Evening Star, v12
2920, First Seed, v3
2920, Sun's Dusk, v11
2920, Sun's Height, v7
A Children's Anuad
A Dance in Fire, Book I
A Dance in Fire, Book III
A Dance in Fire, Book IV
A Dance in Fire, Book V
A Dream of Sovngarde
A Gentleman's Guide to Whiterun
A Kiss, Sweet Mother
A Minor Maze
Aedra and Daedra
Ahzirr Traajijazeri
Alduin is Real
Amongst the Draugr
An Accounting of the Scrolls
An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim
Ancestors and the Dunmer
Antecedents of Dwemer Law
Arcana Restored
The Argonian Account, Book I
The Argonian Account, Book II
The Argonian Account, Book III
The Argonian Account, Book IV
Azura and the Box
Beggar Prince
Biography of Barenziah, v1
Biography of Barenziah, v2
Biography of Barenziah, v3
Boethiah's Glory
Boethiah's Proving
Brief History of the Empire, v1
Brief History of the Empire, v2
Brief History of the Empire, v3
Brief History of the Empire, v4
Brothers of Darkness
Cats of Skyrim
Chance's Folly
Charwich-Koniinge Letters, v1
Charwich-Koniinge, v2
Charwich-Koniinge Letters, v3
Charwich-Koniinge Letters, v4
Chaurus Pie: A Recipe
Children of the Sky
Chimarvamidium
Chronicles of Nchuleft
Cleansing of the Fane
Darkest Darkness
Death of a Wanderer
Dragon Language: Myth no More
Dunmer of Skyrim
Dwarves, v1
Dwarves, v2
Dwarves, v3
Dwemer History and Culture
Dwemer Inquiries Vol I
Dwemer Inquiries Vol II
Dwemer Inquiries Vol III
Effects of the Elder Scrolls
Fall from Glory
Fall of the Snow Prince
Feyfolken, Book I
Feyfolken, Book II
Feyfolken, Book III
Final Lesson
Five Songs of King Wulfharth
Flight from the Thalmor
Forge, Hammer and Anvil
Fragment: On Artaeum
Frontier, Conquest
Galerion The Mystic
Ghosts in the Storm
Glories and Laments
Gods and Worship
Great Harbingers
Hanging Gardens
Harvesting Frostbite Spider Venom
Herbane's Bestiary: Automatons
Herbane's Bestiary: Hagravens
Herbane's Bestiary: Ice Wraiths
Horker Attacks
Immortal Blood
Imperial Report on Saarthal
Invocation of Azura
Killing - Before You're Killed
Kolb and the Dragon
Last King of the Ayleids
Life of Uriel Septim VII
Lost Legends
Lycanthropic Legends of Skyrim
Magic from the Sky
Mixed Unit Tactics
Mysterious Akavir
Mystery of Talara, Book I
Mystery of Talara, Book V
Myths of Sheogorath
N'Gasta! Kvata! Kvakis!
Nerevar Moon and Star
Nightingales: Fact or Fiction?
Nords Arise!
Nords of Skyrim
Ode To The Tundrastriders
Of Crossed Daggers
Of Fjori and Holgeir
Olaf and the Dragon
On Oblivion
On Stepping Lightly
On the Great Collapse
Opusculus Lamae Bal
Palla, volume 1
Palla, volume 2
Pension of the Ancestor Moth
Physicalities of Werewolves
Pirate King of the Abecean
Remanada
Report: Disaster at Ionith
Rising Threat, Vol. I
Rising Threat, Vol. II
Rising Threat, Vol. III
Rising Threat, Vol. IV
Scourge of the Gray Quarter
Shezarr and the Divines
Short History of Morrowind
Skyrim's Rule
Song of the Askelde Men
Songs of Skyrim
Songs of the Return, Vol 2
Songs of the Return, Vol 7
Songs of the Return, Vol 19
Songs of the Return, Vol 24
Songs of the Return, Vol 56
Souls, Black and White
Sovngarde, a Reexamination
Spirit of Nirn
Spirit of the Daedra
Surviving a Horker Attack/Horker Attacks
The "Madmen" of the Reach
The Adabal-a
The Alduin/Akatosh Dichotomy
The Amulet of Kings
The Apprentice's Assistant
The Arcturian Heresy
The Bear of Markarth
The Black Arrow, v1
The Book of Daedra
The Book of the Dragonborn
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cake and the Diamond
The City of Stone
The Code of Malacath
The Dowry
The Dragon Break
The Dragon War
The Falmer: A Study
The Firmament
The Firsthold Revolt
The Great War
The Holds of Skyrim
The Hope of the Redoran
The Last King of the Ayleids
The Legend of Red Eagle
The Legendary Scourge
The Lusty Argonian Maid, v1
The Lusty Argonian Maid, v2
The Madness of Pelagius
The Monomyth
The Night Mother's Truth
The Oblivion Crisis
The Old Ways
The Pig Children
The Posting of the Hunt
The Ransom of Zarek
The Real Barenziah, Book I
The Real Barenziah, Book II
The Real Barenziah, Book III
The Real Barenziah, Book IV
The Real Barenziah, Book V
The Red Book of Riddles
The Rise and Fall of the Blades
The Ruins of Kemel-Ze
The Seed
The Song of Pelinal, Book I
The Song of Pelinal, Book II
The Song of Pelinal, Book III
The Song of Pelinal, Book IV
The Song of Pelinal, Book V
The Song of Pelinal, Book VI
The Song of Pelinal, Book VII
The Song of Pelinal, Book VIII
The Tale of Dro'Zira
The Talos Mistake
The Third Door
The Third Era Timeline
The True Nature of Orcs
The Waters of Oblivion
The Wild Elves
The Windhelm Letters
The Wispmother
The Wolf Queen, Book I
The Wolf Queen, Book II
The Wolf Queen, Book III
The Wolf Queen, Book V
The Wolf Queen, Book VI
The Wolf Queen, Book VII
The Wolf Queen, Book VIII
The Woodcutter's Wife
There Be Dragons
Thief of Virtue
Treatise on Ayleidic Cities
Trials of St. Alessia
Troll Slaying
Uncommon Taste
Varieties of Daedra
Vernaccus and Bourlor
Wabbajack
Walking the World, Vol XI
War of the First Council
Watcher of Stones
Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi
Wraith's Wedding Dowry
Yellow Book of Riddles
Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts
Notable collections and texts [ ]
Elder Scroll (Dragon) – after selling it to Urag gro-Shub it can then be seen in a display case behind Urag's desk.
Appearances [ ]
References [ ]