//The problem is to record the history of the most recent battles of 10 years ago. From the tone of the answer, probably the strong impression that has passed is that any historical information would be incomplete or hidden, or false, or strongly exaggerated because of the empire's patriotism or extreme racism against the nomads or barbarian tribes. And if a library is not careful to record at least a little bit of impartiality or care in their records or in the way they are used...
In this case, from the point of view of the character qiip, it would be really difficult to work with something solid and reliable icly, with this type of source of information.
Even if the library contains useful information, the form they are made available by the npc who asked the question made her change her mind. Probably, any information coming from that npc will bring incorrect or incomplete information. In this situation, it will be best for qiip to try some direct contact with some NPC to share the story if qiip find one playing and develop enough roleplay to gain the trust of the npc for this, or she finds herself a book about the war against the tribes 10 years ago.
But research through npcs in the library or other places always do not always bring good results, because the way they respond or interact with those who have curiosity can limit, defer or destroy icly interest in some topics. In this case, it is roleplaying speaking at the time, and leaving the interest in the background to try something in other ways, I pay attention to other priorities.
Because of this I'm leaving this line of character development and research for some time. The source is not solid enough to be reliable. In due course I will try to find another source or way to collect the information, without depending on the library and their npcs to gain access to very sensitive information for character development and roleplay to go to it.
Oocly, I have interest to research more, but icly qiip will look for other alternatives as of now, leaving the library as the last case, by icly considering that the library is not totally exempt racism and is extremely dependent on the empire's point of view. Not a reliable source of information of her point de view.
A character who dresses as a druid and has physical traits of someone coming from a tribe of nomads or barbarians, looking for something important to her related with the empire against the tribes, and picking up this kind of npc response has a lot more weight than a normal character in the empire.
Shaking her head, going out in silence, disregarding the importance of the library, by the way she heard the answer, regarding the behavior of the library staff is something deeper than it might seem is an icly action. Even having to abandon oocly what I had planned for a while.
Edit 1: I think I can use the material, but in another alternative way, or without the same staff of the vastir library.
Edit 2: Trying to find other ways without using the library. Icly qiip don't know if the staff of the library can help her. She make a proclamation to raise information, after the whole problem with the staff...
https://netheril.net/forums/index.php?topic=1562.msg6612#msg6612