Jedi Archives
The repository of knowledge for the Jedi Order on Coruscant, the Jedi Archives, also known as the Jedi Temple Library, was rumored to contain the entirety of galactic information. The Council of First Knowledge was responsible for its management. This Archives held a vast amount of data, stored both electronically and holographically, potentially making it the most comprehensive information source in the galaxy. Jedi of almost every age came here to expand their knowledge, whether for personal interest, exam preparation, or mission readiness. The Archives also facilitated searches for specific Order members. Profiles, or files, were maintained for each member, regardless of whether they were alive, dead, or had left the Order. These files included information such as name, age, species, home planet, and clan, all labeled with colons. Similar profiles were kept on known criminals, enriching studies for more dangerous assignments. In addition to standard data tapes and holobooks, the Archives housed holocrons, which are devices shaped like polyhedra that could store immense quantities of data. These were kept in a vault off-limits to those who were not Jedi.
History
The Jedi Order established the Jedi Archives in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant relatively early in the Temple's existence, housing some of the holobooks and artifacts evacuated from the Great Jedi Library of Ossus. This Archives, also called the Jedi Temple Library, contained historical records spanning thousands of years, maps covering the entire galaxy, scientific, mathematical, and astronomical journals, engineering and technological documents, and Jedi records concerning the Sith. It provided details on the geography and cultures of various planets and species across the galaxy, along with their zoology and botany. The Archives also stored secrets about Jedi usage of the Force and biographies, including identifying information, of numerous Jedi.
The Archives, situated near the top of the Temple ziggurat, comprised a two-story chamber in the shape of a cross, centered around a sizable rotunda. Radiating from the rotunda were four wings, containing tens of millions of books. The central reference desk was positioned at the heart of the Archives.
The Archives were managed by the Chief Librarian, with assistance from associate librarians and JN-66 and SP-4 analysis droids. During the Clone Wars, Jocasta Nu oversaw the Archives, helping Jedi locate needed information and controlling access to the restricted Holocron Vault inside the library. Before the Battle of Geonosis, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi sought information on the planet Kamino to locate the bounty hunter Jango Fett. He and Nu discovered the absence of any information about the system. Kenobi and Yoda concluded that a Jedi had erased the data on Kamino.
During the Great Jedi Purge, Jedi Master Cere Junda witnessed the Jedi Archives being consumed by flames while she was in hiding. Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, Emperor Palpatine permitted the Grand Inquisitor to examine the records pertaining to the Jedi and their combat techniques. Around this time, Nu, having survived the fall of the Temple, returned to the Temple. Unbeknownst to the Grand Inquisitor, Nu entered a concealed vault within the Archives and retrieved a list containing the names of every known Force-sensitive children just prior to the purge. Although she initially intended to leave discreetly, Nu confronted the Inquisitor upon seeing him again, wielding her lightsaber, offended that he would dare to read her books only to discard them. After a short lightsaber duel Nu was defeated, but as the Inquisitor prepared to deliver the final blow, he was interrupted by Darth Vader. Under orders from Emperor Palpatine, Vader demanded she be kept alive. In the ensuing confrontation, Nu Force pushed the two and fled. Retreating to a computer in the library, Nu purged all the archive files. As Vader continued his pursuit, Nu retrieved a weapon stored in the archives that was capable of fighting Vader.
Later, the Emperor transformed the Temple into his Palace. The Imperial Security Bureau assumed control of the remaining secrets within the Archives, removing all Jedi-related materials and destroying much of their history within a year of seizing the library. The Jedi Archives would eventually be restored in some capacity, documenting notable individuals from recent galactic history, such as Luke Skywalker, in holocrons, similar to the Sith Information Guide.
Behind the scenes
The Jedi Archives made its debut in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, which was the second movie in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The Archives are essentially a precise digital recreation of the Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. This imitation includes the busts of the Lost Twenty, which, in Trinity Library, are busts of alumni like the writer Jonathan Swift.
According to Pablo Helman, the scene where Kenobi speaks with Nu features busts of himself, George Lucas, Rob Coleman, and John Knoll.