Several thousand years before Team Avatar's arrival at the Si Wong Desert in 100 AG, Wan Shi Tong built the library with the intention of preserving all the world's knowledge. With time, it eventually held a vast, ancient collection of books, gathered by the spirit's Knowledge Seekers. At one point in time, the library was accessible to humans, as Wan Shi Tong hoped they would benefit from the vast amount of information. However, some humans sought secrets that would destroy their enemies. Angered by the abuse of his knowledge, Wan Shi Tong closed the library.