diff --git a/static/css/library.css b/static/css/library.css
index f3b6fcf..f5b29bd 100644
--- a/static/css/library.css
+++ b/static/css/library.css
@@ -1,6 +1,35 @@
 /* library.css — Library + Bibliography page components, plus the
    epistemic-filter UI that now lives on /search.html. */
 
+/* ============================================================
+   LIBRARY PALETTE — scoped warm "candlelight" accent
+   Only loaded on /library.html (via $if(library)$) and /search.html,
+   so defining at :root here is effectively page-scoped. Consumed by
+   section headings, the divider, the intro blockquote, and the
+   "more on this shelf" link to give the library page a fine-press
+   feel without touching global colors.
+   ============================================================ */
+
+:root {
+    --library-accent:        #524638;   /* muted warm-gray — reads as "warm" only if you look */
+    --library-accent-muted:  #7c7164;   /* dusty taupe */
+    --library-intro-ink:     #3c3328;
+}
+
+[data-theme="dark"] {
+    --library-accent:        #b5a890;   /* soft oat */
+    --library-accent-muted:  #897f6e;
+    --library-intro-ink:     #c8beac;
+}
+
+@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+    :root:not([data-theme="light"]) {
+        --library-accent:        #b5a890;
+        --library-accent-muted:  #897f6e;
+        --library-intro-ink:     #c8beac;
+    }
+}
+
 /* ============================================================
    FILTER UI
    Originally the Library's sort+filter panel; the sort panel
@@ -150,18 +179,22 @@
    ============================================================ */
 
 .library-section {
-    margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
+    margin-bottom: 3rem;
 }
 
+/* Section heading — fine-press chapter marker. Spectral small-caps in
+   walnut ink, letterspaced for a traditional printer's-ornament look.
+   The ornament span inherits currentColor and picks up the same accent. */
 .library-section h2 {
-    font-family: var(--font-sans);
-    font-size: 0.78rem;
-    font-variant: small-caps;
-    letter-spacing: 0.08em;
-    color: var(--text-muted);
-    text-transform: lowercase;
-    font-weight: 500;
-    margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
+    font-family: var(--font-serif);
+    font-size: 1.2rem;
+    font-variant: all-small-caps;
+    font-feature-settings: "smcp" 1;
+    letter-spacing: 0.09em;
+    color: var(--library-accent);
+    text-transform: none;
+    font-weight: 400;
+    margin: 0 0 0.9rem 0;
 }
 
 /* Per-shelf ornament sitting before the heading text. SVGs in
@@ -225,7 +258,7 @@
     max-width: 60%;
     height: 24px;
     margin: 2.5rem auto;
-    color: var(--text-faint);
+    color: var(--library-accent-muted);
     background-color: currentColor;
     mask-image: url('/images/dingbats/library-divider.svg');
     -webkit-mask-image: url('/images/dingbats/library-divider.svg');
@@ -243,37 +276,91 @@
     text-align: right;
     font-family: var(--font-serif);
     font-style: italic;
-    font-size: 0.9rem;
-    color: var(--text-muted);
-    margin: 0.65rem 0 0;
+    font-size: 0.95rem;
+    color: var(--library-accent-muted);
+    margin: 0.75rem 0 0;
 }
 
 .library-more a {
     color: inherit;
-    text-decoration: underline;
-    text-decoration-color: var(--border);
-    text-decoration-thickness: 0.08em;
-    text-underline-offset: 0.2em;
-    transition: color var(--transition-fast), text-decoration-color var(--transition-fast);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;
+    transition: border-color var(--transition-fast), color var(--transition-fast);
 }
 
 .library-more a:hover {
-    color: var(--text);
-    text-decoration-color: var(--border-muted);
+    color: var(--library-accent);
+    border-bottom-color: var(--library-accent-muted);
 }
 
-/* Leading blockquote above the shelves, lifted from content/library.md. */
+/* Leading blockquote above the shelves, lifted from content/library.md.
+   Set as an epigraph: narrower measure, italic serif, warm ink, no
+   left-bar decoration. */
 .library-intro {
-    margin: 0.5rem 0 2rem;
+    max-width: 32rem;
+    margin: 1.5rem 0 2.75rem;
+    font-family: var(--font-serif);
+    font-style: italic;
+    font-size: 0.95rem;
+    line-height: 1.55;
+    color: var(--library-intro-ink);
+}
+
+.library-intro blockquote {
+    border: none;
+    margin: 0;
+    padding: 0;
+}
+
+.library-intro blockquote p {
+    margin: 0 0 0.4rem 0;
+}
+
+.library-intro blockquote p:last-of-type {
+    margin: 0;
+    font-style: normal;
+    font-size: 0.9rem;
+    color: var(--library-accent-muted);
+}
+
+.library-intro a {
+    color: inherit;
+    text-decoration: underline;
+    text-decoration-color: var(--library-accent-muted);
+    text-decoration-thickness: 0.05em;
+    text-underline-offset: 0.2em;
+}
+
+.library-intro a:hover {
+    text-decoration-color: var(--library-accent);
+}
+
+/* Card-level typography refinements scoped to the library page.
+   Oldstyle figures on dates read as book-typesetting rather than
+   tabular UI; small-caps on the item-kind badge keeps it in the
+   same fine-press register as the section heading. Scoped via
+   `.library-section` so /new.html and tag pages keep their
+   current treatment (lining figures, uppercase badges). */
+.library-section .item-card-date {
+    font-variant-numeric: oldstyle-nums proportional-nums;
+    font-feature-settings: "onum" 1, "pnum" 1;
+}
+
+.library-section .item-card-kind {
+    font-variant: all-small-caps;
+    font-feature-settings: "smcp" 1;
+    letter-spacing: 0.06em;
 }
 
 .library-section h2 a {
     color: inherit;
     text-decoration: none;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;
+    transition: border-color var(--transition-fast);
 }
 
 .library-section h2 a:hover {
-    color: var(--text);
+    border-bottom-color: var(--library-accent-muted);
 }
 
 /* ============================================================