Clean The Library speedruns are won by removing wasted decisions. Running faster helps, but only after the route is clean. If books are scattered in random floor piles or players keep crossing the library with one mismatched book, the timer keeps bleeding even when everyone is sprinting.
Start with the timed badge targets: 3 Hours, 2 Hours, then 1 Hour. The 1-hour target is rough if your normal clear is still chaotic. First finish a normal run while tracking what slowed you down. Was it shelf searching, stack switching, bad piles, missing keys, or final leftover books? Your speed route should attack that exact problem.
The first speed habit is zone routing. Work one area until the nearby matches are gone, then move with a purpose. If you find books for another zone, stage them near that zone instead of mixing them into the current pile. A staged pile makes the next pass easier. If you return and cannot tell what the pile was for, it was not staged well enough.
The second habit is stack discipline. Carrying more books is faster only when the books share a route. Before leaving a shelf, cycle the stack. If another carried book belongs nearby, place it now. This single habit prevents a common speedrun mistake: walking away from a shelf while the correct book was already in your hands.
The third habit is early route tools. Keys and magic can help with carrying, movement, sorting, and shelf finding. Use those tools early enough to affect most of the run. A movement upgrade found near the end may feel good, but it cannot save the time already lost. A sorting or information tool used early can prevent dozens of wrong checks.
Co-op speedruns need roles. Following another player into the same pile only works when it is a planned handoff. Assign zones, runners, route-tool collection, and final cleanup. The final cleanup role is important because the last few books can destroy a good timer. When the library looks almost done, stop random running and check shelves systematically.
For 1-hour attempts, record or remember where time vanished. If the first half felt clean and the last shelves dragged, your issue is final tracking. If the first shelves dragged, your issue is route start. If players argued over piles, the issue is co-op roles. Speed improves fastest when every failed attempt teaches one concrete route fix.