Candlekeep was truly enormous.
Aaron had realized that Candlekeep was a gigantic castle back when he played Baldur's Gate. Although the Charname he controlled could only wander a few streets before reaching the limits of the area, the developers had done it justice. The exterior and the sheer scale of its buildings alone made it clear that Candlekeep's inner keep was immense; the hardware limitations and the nature of the game at the time had simply prevented them from depicting it.
Such a vast castle naturally housed many residents. Some held positions within Candlekeep, some had made tremendous contributions to it, and others had gained admission through their lofty reputations. Aaron actually fell into that last category. Had some obscure nobody presented a copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid, the Readers would probably have rejected him outright, never letting him inside.
With Aaron, the Readers relaxed their standards considerably. For one thing, his name was known throughout the Realms, and he enjoyed a sterling reputation. As a Chosen of Selûne, the Lady of Silver, his character needed no further endorsement. For another, as a landed noble of Cormyr, the mastermind behind the Silver Trade Company, and a wealthy man of some standing, Aaron certainly had no shortage of money. They could squeeze plenty of gold out of him.
A large portion of Candlekeep's income came from visitors' service fees and donations. Charging 150 gold pieces to copy a single book was certainly outrageous, but considering how many people they had to support, it was just about defensible.
The Winthrop family, who had raised Imoen, ran an inn inside Candlekeep. Right next door stood the home of old Gorion, the renowned guardian of Baldur's Gate.
Imoen no longer remembered when old Mr. Gorion had moved in. She only vaguely recalled that