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Library search (Cyberpunk RED)

Skills

Definition

Library Search is your ability to find information through research—searching databases, archives, the Data Pool, public records, news archives, and any other organized repository of knowledge. In the information age, knowing how to find answers is as important as knowing the answers themselves. Library Search uses your INT stat and is the skill of effective research. The Data Pool—the remnant of the old internet that survived the DataKrash—contains vast amounts of information, but finding what you need amidst the noise, corrupted data, and deliberate misinformation requires real skill. Beyond digital research, Library Search also covers navigating physical archives, corporate records, government databases, and academic repositories. For edgerunners, Library Search answers critical questions before a job: Who is the target? What's the building layout? What security has the corporation used before? Who owns that shell company? The crew that does their homework survives longer than the crew that goes in blind.

How it works

**Linked Stat**: INT **Key Uses**: - Searching the Data Pool for information - Accessing and navigating public databases - Researching targets, locations, and organizations - Finding historical records and archived data **Additional**: Library Search quality depends on what information exists and is accessible. Some information is classified, corrupted, or has been deliberately erased. The GM determines what's findable.

Tips

**Build Advice**: Extremely useful for preparation and investigation. Characters who plan ahead and do research before jobs benefit enormously from Library Search. **Synergies**: Pairs with Education for contextualizing what you find and Science for understanding technical information. Supports every other skill by providing background intelligence. **Character Concepts**: Investigative journalist, research specialist, corporate intelligence analyst, paranoid edgerunner who always does their homework.

Frequently asked questions

Is Library Search the same as Netrunning?

No. Library Search accesses publicly available or semi-public information through normal research. Netrunning involves penetrating secure systems through the NET. Library Search finds what's publicly findable; Netrunning steals what isn't.