Storybrooke Free Public Library

Storybrooke Free Public Library
Storybrooke Location
General Information
Status:	Open
Underworld version:	Underbrooke Library
Character Affiliations
Owner:	Mr. Gold †
Inhabitants:	Belle † (formerly)
Employees:	Belle † (formerly)
Visitors:	See "Visitors"
Prisoners:	Maleficent (formerly)
Show Information
First appearance:	"Pilot"
Latest appearance:	"Leaving Storybrooke"
Relevant Pages

“

For twenty-eight years, the hand didn't move. Then one day, tick-tock, it bloody did.

”

—Will Scarlet to Robin Hood ^src

The Storybrooke Free Public Library, also known as the Clock Tower, is a Storybrooke location on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It first appears in the first episode of the first season of Once Upon a Time.

History

During First Curse

When the Evil Queen cast the Dark Curse, she and many inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest are transported to the newly created town of Storybrooke. Below the main floor of the library, she imprisons Maleficent in her dragon form deep below the surface to guard a trigger. Time becomes frozen, and none of the trapped residents can age or are aware of the restraints holding them in place. The clock tower's hands never move, and stay stuck at eight-fifteen. The Evil Queen assumes the role of Storybrooke's mayor, Regina, and has an adoptive son, Henry, who believes in the curse. One day, he leaves town and returns with his birth mother, Emma. When Henry refuses to tell her his house address, she obtains it from the boy's therapist, Archie. After returning him home, Emma quickly finds herself bonding with Henry, despite his eccentric ideas that the town is frozen in time under some curse and she is the destined savior who will break it. He pleads with her to stay in Storybrooke for a week to prove the curse is real. Until unceremoniously told by Regina to stay away from her son, Emma decides to take Henry's advice and checks into the inn. That same night, Henry stares out his bedroom window at the clock face of the library building and watches the minute-long hand move forward for the first time. He smiles; realizing that Emma is staying in town after all. ("Pilot")

The next morning, Regina is shocked to hear the clock tower chime for the first time. On her way to work, she glares at the clock in disbelief. Archie, on his daily walk with Pongo, comments in wonder if someone finally fixed the clock. ("The Thing You Love Most")

To save Henry from the Sleeping Curse, Mr. Gold instructs Emma to bring back a true love potion he hid in the belly of a beast in his previous life. Emma and Regina enter into the first floor of the clock tower, which is an abandoned library. There is an elevator that goes down one floor, and Regina operates the switch while Emma steps in. She battles the dragon form of Maleficent. After piercing the creature with a sword, she collects the remaining potion. ("A Land Without Magic")

After First Curse

After the first curse is broken, Belle grows increasingly concerned with Mr. Gold's unwillingness to talk to her about his reason for still using magic. Fed up, she seeks refuge at the diner where a waitress, Ruby, offers her a room at the inn and also suggests she take a look at the boarded up library. Belle goes to glance at the inside of the library from an outside window when a stranger, William Smee, surprises her by asking for change. She replies she has none, but William suddenly grabs and kidnaps her to another location. Her father, Moe, asked William to bring her to him. He is unhappy Belle is still with Mr. Gold, and makes William send her down a mine shaft car in the hopes of crossing the town border and losing her memory. Belle is rescued by Mr. Gold, but she wants nothing to do with him. Later, at the diner, Ruby shows her a library key someone left for her. Once Belle unlocks the door to the library, Mr. Gold reveals he is the one who sent the key. She is grateful for the gesture, but doesn't want to go back with him. Mr. Gold finally opens up to Belle, and admits he wants to retain magic to find his long lost son. Having told her the truth, he begins leaving, but Belle decides they can start over and invites him to join her for a hamburger snack at the diner. ("The Crocodile")

The town mechanic, Billy, is killed in a gruesome fashion. Since it the first curse-free wolfs time just passed, everyone suspects Ruby of having transformed into a wolf and mauling him to death. District attorney Albert rallies the angry townspeople and calls for Ruby to be punished, but temporary sheriff David continues to protect her from harm. In fear the townspeople will storm the sheriff's office jail cell where Ruby is held, he and Granny hide her in the library with Belle's help. Believing herself to be guilty, Ruby tries to atone by chaining down Belle while she herself goes to face the town mob. The hunt is put to a stop when David and Granny find evidence Albert falsely framed Ruby. ("Child of the Moon")

Continuing to clean up the library, Belle receives a visitor whom she is startled to recognize as Hook. She runs from him, but is not able to escape the library. Belle pins Hook underneath a bookcase and hides in the elevator while she calls Mr. Gold for help. Hook uses his hook to break into the elevator, but he is no match for the dexterity of the elevator. ("The Outsider")

Regina visits an amnesiac Belle in the hospital, and uses magic to force her unconscious. Then, she rummages through Belle's pursue until she finds a binary number for a book that presumably guards the location of Mr. Gold's dagger. She, Cora and Hook search the library shelves for the book. After realizing the book is gone, Cora find a map in its place which Hook is able to translate. They discover the location of the dagger, Cora sees no more use for Hook and flings him into a bookshelf so she and Regina can have the weapon to themselves. She explains that they will use the dagger to manipulate Mr. Gold into killing David, Emma and Mary Margaret. ("Manhattan")

David and Mary Margaret persuade Emma, while she is in New York City, to procure the true location of the dagger from Mr. Gold. The pair find the dagger hidden in the minute hand of the tower's clock face, but Cora and Regina threaten to kill Mary Margaret's dear friend Johanna if they do not hand over the weapon. Mary Margaret, unable to bear seeing Johanna suffer as Regina crushes her heart, surrenders the dagger. Satisfied, Regina shoves the heart back into Johanna's chest while Cora picks up the dagger. Mary Margaret waits with open arms as Johanna rushes towards her, but Cora cruelly kills the woman by flinging her out the clock face. ("The Queen Is Dead")

Attempting to murder Mr. Gold in New York, Hook believes he succeeded, despite being knocked out and locked in Neal's apartment storage room. He is found by Neal's fiancée, Tamara, and taken back to Storybrooke where she and her partner-in-crime, Greg, haul him inside the clock tower. Seating the pirate in front of the broken clock face, they hand him a mini-telescope to view the street below. Hook looks down in disbelief to see an alive Mr. Gold walking around with Belle. Greg and Tamara offer to assist in destroying his nemesis, but first he must help them by getting close to Regina. Hook pretends to become Regina's ally and later tricks her into clasping on a bracelet that Greg and Tamara altered to remove all her magic. Regina herself double-crosses Hook, using him as a scapegoat, when they go down to the lower level of the clock tower to retrieve a trigger to destroy Storybrooke. After gaining the item, she returns to the library ground level only to be greeted by Hook, who was rescued by Greg and Tamara. He reveals his betrayal just before Greg and Tamara kidnap her for an interrogation. ("The Evil Queen")

Following a return trip from Neverland after rescuing Henry from Peter Pan, Emma and her allies quickly realize all is not right. Discovering Pan switched bodies with Henry, Mr. Gold uses the wand of a Black Fairy to undo the change. With Granny's sense of smell, they track Henry, now returned to his original body, to the library. The boy rushes out to reunite with both of his mothers, Emma and Regina. He gives Regina a scroll, which Pan had plans to use for enacting another curse. ("Going Home")

During Second Curse

Regina meets her half-sister, Zelena, and is challenged to a duel after sundown. As the anticipating townspeople gather outside in front of the library, Zelena approaches, garbed in black, while an enslaved Mr. Gold is forced to follow along. Emma starts a fight with her, but is swiftly disposed of. When Regina shows up, the two sisters trade harsh words until a magic battle commences. Eventually, Zelena hurls Regina right through the clock face and attempts to steal her sister's heart. Mockingly, Regina states that their mother taught her well not to bring her heart to a witch fight. Having lost, Zelena hops on her broom to leave, but not before vowing she will find the heart. ("It's Not Easy Being Green")

After Second Curse

Since escaping from Emma, who he has been avoiding since stealing money from an ice cream shop, Will outruns her again at a local restaurant. After celebrating his getaway by getting drunk, he mistakes the closed library for a bar and begins lock-picking his way in. Hook, having finished his date with Emma, passes by and tries to persuade Will to go home. Will pushes his hand away twice, to which an enraged Hook repeatedly punches him; seemingly fueled by his restored hand that Mr. Gold recently reattached. When Will questions what he's doing, Hook regains calm and threatens him into keeping quiet about what just happened. Once his attacker leaves, Will breaks into the library. Finding a particular book, he rips out an illustration of the Red Queen and tucks it into his pocket. In the morning, Belle finds Will asleep on the floor and phones Emma for help. Emma, not pleased to be disturbed on her day off from work, still arrives to reprehend him. ("The Apprentice")

When new evidence is discovered the Snow Queen, Ingrid, had been Emma's prior foster mother, everyone splits up into a search party to find the villainess' ice cream truck. Belle opts to research at the library as Elsa joins her. Elsa is desperate to find her missing sister, Anna, though she remains unaware Belle is hiding a secret relating to her. Belle once met Anna in the past, failing to save her, resulting in the girl's capture by the Snow Queen. In the library, she hides a map of Arendelle from Elsa, who is losing hope of finding her sister. Elsa wonders if Anna trapped her in the urn, as the Snow Queen claimed, and doesn't want to be found. Belle insists that's not true, but out of guilt, she leaves and secretly tracks down the Snow Queen. Continuing to research, Elsa finds a pictorial family tree of the Arendelle royals. On it, she discovers her mother, Gerda, Ingrid and another woman named Helga are sisters. ("Family Business")

In her plan to ostracize Emma from her loved ones, Ingrid sets up a fake mirror on the inside of the clock face within the tower. Shortly after, Emma apprehends Ingrid with a spell to magically bind her wrists. Ingrid is taken to the sheriff station for an interrogation by Elsa and Emma while David and Hook examine the mirror. Elsa later joins the twosome, but at Belle's arrival, she warns the trio not to look at the reflection as it will brainwash them. On closer examination, Belle notices it's not the same mirror she saw in the Snow Queen's lair. Realizing they have been duped, the group rush to Emma at the station. ("The Snow Queen")

During a diner discussion, Will suggests to Robin Hood, who wants to find the storybook's author, that Storybrooke's magic originates from the clock tower. He explains his theory by revisiting life under the first curse, in which time was frozen until Emma's arrival; prompting the curse to weaken and the clock face hands to move as time resumed. Suspecting they will find information on the author in the library under the clock tower, the pair go there together. Will attempts another library break-in, but Robin Hood notices a sign listing the store hours and opens the unlocked door. Inside, they find nothing of use until Robin Hood discovers a storybook page, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, in his bag. The illustration depicts himself and Regina's would-be first meeting in the past Enchanted Forest. Shocked, he urges Regina to come to the library right away. Once she arrives, he shows her the image, which is listed as page twenty. In comparison the storybook's page twenty, it has an image of Regina choosing not to meet Robin Hood for the first time. He argues this as proof that their pasts had different possible paths because the book already has illustrations for both events. With her optimism in hope renewed, Regina kisses Robin Hood. ("Smash the Mirror")

In the six weeks after Belle banishes Mr. Gold from Storybrooke, she and Hook research at the library for a way to free the nuns from the sorcerer's hat. One morning, as Belle is opening the library doors, he meets her there just as Emma parts from him for the day. Inside, Hook examines a board littered with dead ends about the missing nuns, and in a fit of anger, he knocks it off the wall. From the counter, Belle assures him that they do have a lead towards saving the nuns, but since it's written in an ancient language, she is consulting with outside help to translate it. Guilty over his part in trapping the nuns, Hook expresses remorse over letting Mr. Gold control him. As Belle goes to shelve books, she asserts her own fault, too, by doing the same and for being blind to her husband's actions. Hook then recalls something Mr. Gold once said that he himself believes to be true; love is a weapon and is as dangerous as magic. Belle considers the fact he had both their hearts; figuratively and literally in each of their cases. Despite her husband's bad ways, Hook confirms that Mr. Gold did truly love her, which makes Belle tear up as she shares hopes that he found what he was looking for. Later, she receives an email response from an "Oxford professor" with the text translation for a ceremony that needs to be performed to bring back the nuns. ("Darkness on the Edge of Town")

When Maleficent offers an alliance, she asks the savior to locate her daughter Lilith, a name Emma unexpectedly recognizes. Rushing to the library, Emma goes through a projector of newspaper clippings until she sees a microfiche for Lilith Page, who she remembers as her childhood friend Lily. Regina finds her there, suggesting they leave town together, as they both have missions outside of Storybrooke. Emma resists at first, stating she doesn't need a babysitter, but Regina clarifies that she needs Emma, who more experience in the Land Without Magic than she does. ("Lily")

After Third Curse

In defiance of her allies, who have no interest in rescuing Mr. Gold from Emma, Belle heads to the library, hoping to track Mr. Gold with a street map. Suddenly, she hears the elevator coming up from the lower floor, causing her to grab a weapon in defense of whoever is in there. The elevator doors open, revealing a frightened Mr. Gold, who is running from Merida. During a brief respite, he thanks Belle for not giving up on him, as it was her voice he heard while in his coma, which gave him a reason to cling onto life rather than let go. Although she is touched by his sentiments, Belle quickly puts her feelings aside and urges him to seek cover with her at the pawnshop. ("The Bear and the Bow")

After becoming aware he is a Dark One, Hook embraces the darkness and challenges Mr. Gold to a duel on the Jolly Roger so they can finish the fight that started decades ago in the same place. Since Merlin once said the first Dark One, Nimue, is the heroes' only hope of defeating the Dark One, Mr. Gold suggests they learn as much as they can about Nimue by researching The Dark One Chronicles at the library. Because there may not be enough time for that, Emma tries persuading, to no avail, for the removal of her cuff so she can aid her allies with magic. While Emma is left to stay in Regina's house, everyone else begins heading to the library. Mr. Gold opts out to prepare for his battle with Hook and Regina temporarily parts from the rest of the group to deal with Zelena. At the library table, Belle, David, Mary Margaret are deep into their book research when Henry walks past some shelves, where Emma surprises him. She convinces him to team up with her in "Operation Cobra: Part 2" to retrieve the dreamcatchers Hook previously stole from her. ("Broken Heart")

In an effort to learn Hades' weakness, the heroes search the books at the library. Emma has a meltdown over knowing Hook is still trapped in the Underworld and unable to move on because of Hades' presence in town, but she calms down after Snow suggests she can help Hook by aiding in their research. Later, Emma takes a break from the books and looks at storybook picture of herself and Hook in the past Enchanted Forest. Upon getting sad over the memory, she puts the book aside, but then, it flips open by itself to a new page from Hades' story. Emma, at first, is shocked, until she realizes Hook is helping her from the Underworld. She then takes the pages and leaves the library for town hall, where Hades is hiding. ("Last Rites")

Afraid of Mr. Gold's intentions with her unborn child, Belle consults the library for a way to stop him, and unknowingly falls asleep at one point. In her dream, she finds a book on how to defeat the Dark One, which tells her to follow a red strand. After closing the book, Belle sees the strand and follows it out the library to a cave, where she meets her grown son "Morpheus," who hints the key to stopping Mr. Gold is right in front of her. Later after waking up from the dream in the library, she shows Hook and Emma a book she was reading prior to falling asleep, and tells them about her son's cryptic hint. Hook notices the book is written in squid ink, which they can use to paralyze Mr. Gold. Belle wants to help lure him out, but Emma dismisses the idea because it may give Mr. Gold the chance to accelerate her pregnancy. Mr. Gold manages to corner Belle while she is alone at the library, and he explains why he is forcing their son to love him by magic rather than choice. However, Belle persuades him not to because if he does, he'll lose her for good. ("Changelings")

Following Gideon's retreat after losing to Emma in a duel, he takes a walk through the empty streets of Storybrooke. Gideon heads into the library and up to the top level of the clock tower, where he paces back and forth, working himself into a fury before shattering the clock face with magic. ("Tougher Than the Rest")

After knocking Gideon unconscious to stop him from his plans to kill Emma, Mr. Gold brings him to the top level of the clock tower and binds him with restraints to a chair. Having once given into darkness for an initally good purpose, Mr. Gold talks about becoming the Dark One to protect his first-born son Baelfire, but as a consequence, once the darkness took hold inside him, it never stopped. He worries the same will happen to Gideon and then asks what the Black Fairy did to make him believe he must kill the Savior to become a hero. After Mr. Gold unties his son's binds as proof of his trust in him, Gideon recounts how his mother's book shaped his desire to be a hero, but the Black Fairy made him a coward after she gave him a chance to save another boy she was torturing, but he was too scared to help. He then asks for his father's help to prove the Black Fairy is wrong about both of them being cowards, and Mr. Gold agrees before passing him a cup of tea. Gideon drinks it, which Mr. Gold spiked with a forgetting potion, in an attempt to erase his son's pain for good. After Mr. Gold admits to what he put in the tea, Gideon hugs him with feigned gratitude and then steals the Dark One's dagger from him, as he reveals the potion had no effect on him. He then orders his father to help him fix Hrunting, the sword that he is destined to kill Emma with. ("Ill-Boding Patterns")

Inside the clock tower, Emma approaches Gideon to tell him she is willing to help him take down the Black Fairy, but only if he proves himself trustworthy by handing over Hrunting and undoing Hook's banishment. Gideon accepts her deal by giving her the sword and agreeing to bring back Hook. Much later, Gideon returns to the clock tower with Hrunting after he has left Emma to die because he needs to channel her magic in order to create a portal to reach the Black Fairy. As Emma's life ebbs away, Gideon uses the charged up sword to slice open a portal, but it only stays open for a brief moment before closing, causing him to realize Emma survived. Gideon, whose actions were controlled by the Black Fairy this whole time, later speaks to her outloud, noting with a measure of satisfaction that her plan failed. He remains unsure if she heard him, but then turns around in shock upon hearing the Black Fairy answer him. She reveals the portal stayed open long enough for her to pass through, and then inquiries if there is a part of him that wanted to help her. Still under her control, Gideon has no choice but to confirm he did, to which she smiles and remarks that they have much more to do. ("Mother's Little Helper")

To find out more about the final battle that Emma will face, Emma and Henry go to the library to decipher symbols that Henry previously wrote while he was in an Author trance. ("Awake")

After receiving a hint from Mother Superior about where the other half of the wand being at "the heart of Storybrooke," Snow and David search the top of the clock tower, believing it is hidden inside the clock face but instead they find nothing. Snow phones Regina for help deciphering the clue, and going by Regina's suggestion that it must be a place that has sentimental value to the townspeople, she guesses it must be in the diner. ("The Black Fairy")

Sometime after leaving a cloud of dark fairy dust in the clock tower, which is set to unleash a Dark Curse at six o'clock, the Black Fairy directs the heroes there as a warning to show them what she has in store for the town. Emma, feeling responsible for the situation, decides to face the Black Fairy alone before anyone else gets hurt. Much later, Emma stands up to the Black Fairy by using the power of her own song to free her loved ones. Despite knowing the curse is coming, Emma goes through with her wedding on the rooftop of a building across from the view of the clock tower. Once the couple are married, Emma and Hook sing to each other about their happy beginning as the wedding guests chime in. They are interrupted by the tolling of the tower at six o'clock, which brings forth the curse as it bursts out of the clock face. ("The Song in Your Heart")

Visitors

The Black Fairy † Cora † David Nolan Elsa Emma Swan Gideon Granny

Greg Mendell † Hook Ingrid † Johanna † Leroy Will Scarlet Mary Margaret Blanchard

Merida Mr. Gold † Peter Pan † (in Henry Mills' body) Regina Mills Robin Hood † Ruby Tamara †

Trivia

• On-screen Notes
• Production Notes
• Cultural References
• Set Notes
• Goofs

On-screen Notes

• The library and clock tower are featured in the title cards for "The Queen Is Dead" and "Dark Hollow."
• The closed library during the First Dark Curse represents the way all the stories have been ripped from the fairytale characters lives.
• The clock has been depicted in some form of broken state in every season of Once Upon a Time apart from Season Four and Season Seven.
  • The clock itself was "broken" until the end of "Pilot" in Season One, when time resumed in Storybrooke.
  • Cora broke the clock face in Season Two when she magically threw Johanna out of the tower in "The Queen Is Dead."
    • Its repair appears confused as it was still broken in "And Straight On 'Til Morning," however, flashbacks in "Dark Hollow" set immediately afterward show the clock repaired.
  • Zelena broke the clock face in Season Three when she magically threw Regina through it during their fight in "It's Not Easy Being Green." It was repaired at some point between "Kansas" and "A Tale of Two Sisters."
  • The clock face was broken again in Season Five when Zelena was sucked out by a cyclone summoned by Regina in "Swan Song." It was repaired at least by "Our Decay."
  • Gideon shattered the clock face in Season Six during a magical fit of rage in "Tougher Than the Rest." It was repaired soon after, by "Ill-Boding Patterns."
  • The clock face was broken for the second time in Season Six when the Black Fairy's curse broke through it to engulf the town in "The Song in Your Heart." It was repaired once the curse took effect in "The Final Battle Part 1."
• Its address number is 3551. ("A Land Without Magic")
• The library's opening hours are from 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. on Mondays to Fridays, 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Saturdays and 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. on Sundays. ("Smash the Mirror")
• According to the poster behind the front desk, the book categories are general works, psychology and philosophy, religion & mythology, social sciences, languages, natural sciences & math, applied sciences & technology, arts & recreation, literature, and geography & history. ("Darkness on the Edge of Town," "Broken Heart")
• According to Emma Swan, the ticking of the clock tower "marks every magical second since her arrival." ("Mother's Little Helper")
• Geographically, the library and clock tower are at the center of Storybrooke. ("The Black Fairy")

Production Notes

• The top two stories of the clock tower, including the clock, are visual effects.
  • However, some shots of the clock are filmed with a real studio prop.
• The close-up of the clock face seen when time starts moving in Storybrooke in "Pilot" and "The Thing You Love Most" is reused in "A Land Without Magic," "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The Final Battle Part 2." In "A Land Without Magic" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town," the lighting has been changed to daylight and a cloud of magic has been digitally added to the former.
• The establishing shot of the library from "Family Business" is stock footage from the opening shot of "Rocky Road." Note that the time on the CGI clock tower is different.

Disney

• When Ingrid enters the clock tower, the clock (seen from inside) is set at 10:15, a reference to the scene from Frozen where Anna and Hans are singing "Love Is an Open Door" in front of a clock tower. ("The Snow Queen")
• When Emma uses magic to handcuff the Snow Queen, the clock (seen from inside) is set at at 12:25, a reference to the time on the White Rabbit's pocket watch in the animated Disney film Alice in Wonderland. ("The Snow Queen")

Lost

• During the curse, the time on the clock tower is frozen at 8:15. It is a reference to Oceanic Flight 815 from Lost. ("Pilot," "The Thing You Love Most," "Welcome to Storybrooke," "Awake")
  • When Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke, the clock unfreezes from 8:15 and moves forward to 8:16. 8, 15 and 16 are three of the Lost numbers. ("Pilot," "The Thing You Love Most")
  • The next morning, Regina sees the clock at 8:23. 23 is a reference to Jack Shephard's number on Lost. ("The Thing You Love Most")
• The clock ticks to 8:15 just as Main Street is engulfed by a cloud of magic brought about by Mr. Gold. ("A Land Without Magic," "Broken")
• The illustration of the clock tower on the postcard that Neal receives shortly after the curse is broken shows 8:15. ("Broken")
• When Will Scarlet leaves Storybrooke, the clock shows 8:15. ("Down the Rabbit Hole")
• When Emma arrives in Storybrooke during the second curse, the clock also shows 8:15. ("New York City Serenade")
• At the beginning of "Darkness on the Edge of Town," the hand on the town clock moves from 8:15 to 8:16.
• If you watch closely or play it in slow motion when Gideon destroys the clock, you can see that the time is 8:15. ("Tougher Than the Rest")
• When Gideon is inside the clock tower, preparing to release the Black Fairy, the time on the clock is 8:15. ("Mother's Little Helper")
• After the Final Battle is won, the time on the clock tower is 8:15. The hand on the town clock then moves to 8:16. ("The Final Battle Part 2")
• When Margot and Tilly visit Storybrooke, the time on the clock tower is 8:15. The same time is on the clock the day of Roni's's coronation. ("Leaving Storybrooke")

Fairytales and Folklore

• Emma found the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll beside Will when he broke into the library. ("The Apprentice")

Popular Culture

• When Belle is cleaning up the library floor, among the books seen are Spies in the Vatican: The Soviet Union's Cold War Against the Catholic Church by John Koehler (on a shelf), and Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne (on the floor). There is also a book on Greek mythology. ("The Outsider")
• Among the books seen in "Manhattan" are:
  • Murder at the Pentagon by Margaret Truman (barely readable)
  • "In Flanders Fields" – the famous poem by John McCrae, written during First World War
  • Fairoaks by Frank Yerby
  • Honor Thy Father by Gay Talase
  • The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones
  • The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
  • Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss
  • Drop City by T. Coraghessan Boyle
  • The Marriage Prize by Virginia Henley
  • Maestro by Bob Woodward
  • The War in 2020 by Ralph Peters
• In "Smash the Mirror," Robin Hood picks up the children's book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Other books in the library are:
  • Thriving On Chaos by Tom Peters (on the far right when Will asks Robin Hood if he and Regina are still together)
  • Vocabulary of the Greek Testament by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan
  • Cashelmara by Susan Howatch (on the bottom right corner when Robin Hood takes out The Cat in the Hat)
• When Emma is looking up information on how to defeat Hades, among the books lying next to her on the desk is a 1976 omnibus edition of Sleeping Murder and Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Cristie (seen upside-down). ("Last Rites")

Props Notes

• There is a tree shaped mirror on the wall that hides the elevator doors, one of many references in Storybrooke to the Enchanted Forest. ("A Land Without Magic")
• Among the library shelves are: ("The Crocodile," "Child of the Moon," "Smash the Mirror")

SHELF	EXPLANATION
130 PARAPSYCHOLOGY	The study of mental phenomena which are excluded from or inexplicable by orthodox scientific psychology; such as precognition and telepathy.
131 PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL METHODS
132 MENTAL DERANGEMENTS	Referring to mental disorders.
133 MAGIC & RITUAL
134 MESMERISM & CLAIRVOYANCE	Mesmerism is a theorized invisible natural force exerted by animals, believed to have physical effects, including healing. Clairvoyance refers to knowledge of information not necessarily known to any other person, which is not obtained by ordinary channels of perceiving or reasoning, but through extrasensory perception.
135 DREAMS & MYSTERIES
135.4 ROSICRUANISM	A worldwide brotherhood claiming to possess esoteric wisdom handed down from ancient times. Their teachings are a combination of occultism and other religious beliefs and practices, including hermeticism, Jewish mysticism, and Christian Gnosticism.
135.4 GNOSTICISM & NEOPLATONISM	Neoplatonism is a philosophical and religious system that arose in the third century in Alexandria. It mixes Platonic ideas and oriental mysticism. Gnosticism is a collection of philosophical and religious movements whose adherents shunned the material world and embraced the spiritual world.
135.4 HERMETICISM	A religious and philosophical tradition based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Its philosophy is comprised of astrology, alchemy and theurgy.
136 MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
137 DIVINATORY GRAPHOLOGY	The inference of character from a person's handwriting. The theory underlying graphology is that the way words and letters are formed can reveal traits of personality. Note that a set photo from 2016 reveals another category for shelf 137: AUTOMATIC WRITING, a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing.
145 SENSATIONALISM	The presentation of stories in a way that is intended to provoke public interest or excitement, at the expense of accuracy.
146 NATURALISM	In philosophy, naturalism refers to the belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted.
147 PANTHEISM	A doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.
148 LIBERALISM	The holding of liberal views.

• The author of From the Keel Up: A Nautical Guide (which Belle consults) is "D. McLean," a reference to production staff member Douglas McLean ("The Outsider")
  • D. McLean is also the name of a news reporter listed in the newspaper that Isaac reads in "Operation Mongoose Part 2."
  • The illustration of the monkey's fist knot is a slightly altered version of a picture that can be found on several online websites.
  • One page says:

[image begins]f the sails are
[image begins]d
[image begins] HITCH)
[image begins] the top is defined
[image begins]oks as a rolling
[image begins] defined by some
[image begins] hitch but is a variant
[image begins]not with a Half Hitch"
[image begins]ottom knot is similar to a
[image begins]t line hitch is doubled
[image begins]anding part of the line.

Most of the text is taken from an article on a now defunct website run by the United States Sailing Association. The full excerpt reads:

"Rolling Hitch (or Magnus Hitch): In the right hand picture, the knot on the top is defined by Ashley and most US knotting books as a rolling Hitch. The knot on the bottom is defined by some British knotting books as a rolling hitch but is a variant of what Ashley calls a "Awning Knot with a Half Hitch" or a "Midshipman Knot." The bottom knot is similar to a taut line hitch except that a taut line hitch is doubled back on itself and tied to the standing part of the line."

• One of the snow globes in Mr. Gold's pawnshop contains a miniature building which looks remarkably similar to the library clock tower. ("The Snow Queen")

Set Dressing

• In "Pilot," the sign for "Storybrooke Free Public Library" is a green house-shaped structure, but in "The Thing You Love Most," it is changed to a white rectangular sign. Stock footage appears to have be used briefly in a scene in "The New Neverland" where Pan's Shadow flies past the library and the old green sign is seen.
• A poster pinned to the wall inside the library, contains an illustration of Titania and Nick Bottom from William Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream." ("A Land Without Magic")
  • The same poster can be seen on a billboard outside the town hall in "Desperate Souls."
  • Another poster is about a boat for a sale, while a third poster shows an illustration of a house. The latter is also seen in close-up in "Broken Heart," where the headline is revealed to be "Learn how to Protect your Home...." Both posters also appear on the town hall's billboard in "Desperate Souls."
• There is a poster inside the library advertising Spanish lessons. The headline says "Habla Espanol?," meaning "speak Spanish?" The rest of the poster includes the text "Spanish Speaking Tutor taking New Students." ("The Crocodile," "Smash the Mirror," "Darkness on the Edge of Town")
  • The same poster can be seen in the hallway in Neal's apartment building in "Manhattan."
• A poster inside the library contains the phone number 555–0166, which is the phone number of the Storybrooke Convent. Curiously, the headline says "port and marine safety and security certificate." "("The Crocodile," "Smash the Mirror," "Darkness on the Edge of Town")
• Several members of the production team of Once Upon a Time are listed as authors of a set of nautical guide books. From left to right: ("The Outsider")
  • R. Lavigueur, a reference to production staff member Rob Lavigueur
  • G. Venturi, a reference to art director Greg Venturi
  • B. Burd, a reference to property master Bill Burd
  • M. Price, a reference to productions staff member Marc Price
  • N. Westlake (listed as the author of two books), a reference to graphic designer Neil Westlake, whose name appears on several different props thought the show:
    • As a complainant in a police report in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."
    • As a land surveyor on a document in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree."
    • As a photographer on the front page of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror in "The Stable Boy."
    • As one of the reviewers on the book blurb for Isaac's novel Heroes and Villains in "Operation Mongoose Part 1."
    • The name of the author of the book Robin Hood: Myth and Legend in "Only You" and "The Girl in the Tower."
  • K. Santarosa, a reference to productions staff member Kevin Santarosa
  • A. Hrytzak, a reference to graphic designer Adrian Hrytzak
• Various members of the production team are also listed as authors of the books on a shelf where Cora finds Mr. Gold's map. From left to right: ("Manhattan")
  • B. Chometsky (barely readable), a reference to production staff member Brenda Chometsky
  • R. Lavigueur (barely readable), another reference to production staff member Rob Lavigueur
  • M. Joy, a reference to production designer Michael Joy
  • B. Burd, another reference to property master Bill Burd
  • P. Venturi, a reference to illustrator Paolo G. Venturi
  • G. Venturi, another reference to art director Greg Venturi
  • S.B. Edwards, production staff member
    • S.B. Edwards is also mentioned in a police report pinned to the billboard at the Storybrooke Sheriff's Department in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"
  • A. Hrytzak, another reference to graphic designer Adrian Hrytzak
  • M. Soparlo, a reference to production staff member Mark Soparlo
    • M. Soparlo was also listed as the news reporter in a newspaper clipping about baby Emma in "True North," "Family Business" and "Firebird."
    • M. Soparlo is also the name of a news reporter listed in the newspaper that Isaac reads in "Operation Mongoose Part 2."
• Among the books seen in "Manhattan" (in addition to the ones listed under "Popular Culture") are:
  • The Beauty of Britain
  • Ottawa Unbuttoned by Dave McIntosh
  • Highly Confident by Jesse Kornbluth
  • Vancouver (where Once Upon a Time is filmed)
  • Competing for the Future
• A framed map of Storybrooke is hanging on the wall inside the library. ("Enter the Dragon")
  • Regina and Cora use an almost identical library map with the same kind of frame, to find the location of the Dark One Dagger. ("The Queen Is Dead")
• A framed illustration of a ship later appears in Henry's apartment in "Hyperion Heights" and "A Pirate's Life." ("Smash the Mirror," "Changelings")
• Among the books seen in "Smash the Mirror" (in addition to the ones listed under "Popular Culture") are:
  • Fine Art Reproductions by New York Graphic Society
  • Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Joseph Tayer
  • Kunstgewerbeblatt
  • The Complete Printmaker
  • The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking
  • Audubon Perspectives: Fight for Survival
  • Eyewitness to Disaster by Dan Perkes
  • Great Marques: Mercedes Benz
  • The Great Events by Famous Historians volume VI, XII and XVII
• A poster seen in "Broken Heart," focusing on the prevention of child abuse, can also be seen at Game of Thorns in "Last Rites." Note that the poster at the library is illegible.
• A lamp sitting on a table in the clock tower is the same prop that was used in Zelena's quarters at the Emerald castle in "Our Decay." ("The Black Fairy")
• There is a calendar with an illustration of the Storybrooke clock tower in Emma's room at the Storybrooke Sanitarium. It is the same illustration that appears on Neal's postcard in "Broken." ("The Final Battle Begins")

Filming Locations

• The building is portrayed by Nikka Fishing & Marine, a two-story store on Moncton Street in Steveston Village. A replica of the front of the library, built at the The Bridge Studios in Burnaby, is also used for filming.
  • This building is also seen briefly in the 2014 science fiction film Godzilla.
• The interior of the clock tower and the interior of the library is filmed on a set at The Bridge Studios in Burnaby.

Goofs

• In wide shots, the area around the clock face is shaped like a square. In close-ups, the clock face is in the shape of a trapezoid. ("Pilot," "The Thing You Love Most," "A Land Without Magic," "Darkness on the Edge of Town")
• In an exterior shot of Storybrooke in "The Thing You Love Most," the computer-generated clock tower is situated at least two streets behind Sara's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, a business located next to Mr. Gold's pawnshop. However, other episodes clearly show that the pawnshop and Sara's Old-fashioned Ice Cream are both located in the same street as the Storybrooke library, with the library on the opposite side of the road.
• On occasion, the clock tower building has been seen in shots without the clock itself digitally added:
  • When Emma walks Henry to school, as she pauses and stops walking, the clock tower building is reflected in the window, but without the actual clock tower. ("The Thing You Love Most")
  • After a playground scene with Emma and Henry, there is a shot of Storybrooke main street where you can see the clock tower building, but without the actual clock tower. ("Desperate Souls")
  • When Moe French steps out of his florist's van, in the background, you can see the clock tower building, but without the clock tower. ("Skin Deep")
  • As David and Mary Margaret are walking through Main Street, the top of the real Nikka Fishing & Marine, which looks completely different from Storybrooke's clock tower, can be seen behind a building. ("The Jolly Roger")
• When Emma and Henry are walking down the street in "The Thing You Love Most," the clock face is on the right hand side of the library sign. Earlier in the episode, and in every other episode, the clock face is directly above the sign.

Appearances

Once Upon a Time: Season One
"Pilot":	"The Thing You Love Most":	"Snow Falls":	"The Price of Gold":	"That Still Small Voice":	"The Shepherd":	"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter":	"Desperate Souls":	"True North":	"7:15 A.M.":	"Fruit of the Poisonous Tree":
Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent
"Skin Deep":	"What Happened to Frederick":	"Dreamy":	"Red-Handed":	"Heart of Darkness":	"Hat Trick":	"The Stable Boy":	"The Return":	"The Stranger":	"An Apple Red as Blood":	"A Land Without Magic":
Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears	Absent	Mentioned	Absent	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Two
"Broken":	"We Are Both":	"Lady of the Lake":	"The Crocodile":	"The Doctor":	"Tallahassee":	"Child of the Moon":	"Into the Deep":	"Queen of Hearts":	"The Cricket Game":	"The Outsider":
Appears	Mentioned	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears
"In the Name of the Brother":	"Tiny":	"Manhattan":	"The Queen Is Dead":	"The Miller's Daughter":	"Welcome to Storybrooke":	"Selfless, Brave and True":	"Lacey":	"The Evil Queen":	"Second Star to the Right":	"And Straight On 'Til Morning":
Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Three
"The Heart of the Truest Believer":	"Lost Girl":	"Quite a Common Fairy":	"Nasty Habits":	"Good Form":	"Ariel":	"Dark Hollow":	"Think Lovely Thoughts":	"Save Henry":	"The New Neverland":	"Going Home":
Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears
"New York City Serenade":	"Witch Hunt":	"The Tower":	"Quiet Minds":	"It's Not Easy Being Green":	"The Jolly Roger":	"Bleeding Through":	"A Curious Thing":	"Kansas":	"Snow Drifts":	"There's No Place Like Home":
Appears	Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Four
"A Tale of Two Sisters":	"White Out":	"Rocky Road":	"The Apprentice":	"Breaking Glass":	"Family Business":	"The Snow Queen":	"Smash the Mirror":	"Fall":	"Shattered Sight":	"Heroes and Villains":
Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears
"Darkness on the Edge of Town":	"Unforgiven":	"Enter the Dragon":	"Poor Unfortunate Soul":	"Best Laid Plans":	"Heart of Gold":	"Sympathy for the De Vil":	"Lily":	"Mother":	"Operation Mongoose Part 1":	"Operation Mongoose Part 2":
Appears	Appears	Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Five
"The Dark Swan":	"The Price":	"Siege Perilous":	"The Broken Kingdom":	"Dreamcatcher":	"The Bear and the Bow":	"Nimue":	"Birth":	"The Bear King":	"Broken Heart":	"Swan Song":
Appears	Appears	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears
"Souls of the Departed":	"Labor of Love":	"Devil's Due":	"The Brothers Jones":	"Our Decay":	"Her Handsome Hero":	"Ruby Slippers":	"Sisters":	"Firebird":	"Last Rites":	"Only You":	"An Untold Story":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Six
"The Savior":	"A Bitter Draught":	"The Other Shoe":	"Strange Case":	"Street Rats":	"Dark Waters":	"Heartless":	"I'll Be Your Mirror":	"Changelings":	"Wish You Were Here":	"Tougher Than the Rest":
Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears
"Murder Most Foul":	"Ill-Boding Patterns":	"Page 23":	"A Wondrous Place":	"Mother's Little Helper":	"Awake":	"Where Bluebirds Fly":	"The Black Fairy":	"The Song in Your Heart":	"The Final Battle Part 1":	"The Final Battle Part 2":
Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Seven
"Hyperion Heights":	"A Pirate's Life":	"The Garden of Forking Paths":	"Beauty":	"Greenbacks":	"Wake Up Call":	"Eloise Gardener":	"Pretty in Blue":	"One Little Tear":	"The Eighth Witch":	"Secret Garden":
Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Archive	Absent	Absent	Absent	Archive	Absent
"A Taste of the Heights":	"Knightfall":	"The Girl in the Tower":	"Sisterhood":	"Breadcrumbs":	"Chosen":	"The Guardian":	"Flower Child":	"Is This Henry Mills?":	"Homecoming":	"Leaving Storybrooke":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
"Down the Rabbit Hole":	"Trust Me":	"Forget Me Not":	"The Serpent":	"Heart of Stone":	"Who's Alice":	"Bad Blood":
Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Home":	"Nothing to Fear":	"Dirty Little Secrets":	"Heart of the Matter":	"To Catch a Thief":	"And They Lived...":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent

Once Upon a Time: Specials
"Magic is Coming":	"The Price of Magic":	"Journey to Neverland":	"Wicked is Coming":	"Storybrooke Has Frozen Over":
Archive	Archive	Archive	Archive	Archive
"Secrets of Storybrooke":	"Dark Swan Rises":	"Evil Reigns Once More":	"The Final Battle Begins":
Archive	Archive	Archive	Archive

Other Appearances

The Storybrooke Free Public Library is featured in Once Upon a Time's Season One novelization, Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale. The Storybrooke Library appears in a photo in "Breaking Glass." A duplicate version of the Storybrooke Free Public Library appears in the Underworld.

Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.