6 Super Cool Libraries to Visit Before You Die, or After, I Don't Judge

All around the world are libraries big and small for the public to visit and take advantage of. Some, however, stand out as architectural art pieces in which it would be foolish for any world traveler to pass up. Others make the perfect backdrop for some awesome photos or movies. Some are just, well, super cool. So, here is a list of a few super cool libraries to visit before you die......or to haunt afterward. Whatever you decide, I don't judge.

Biblioteca Casconcelos: Buenavista, Mexico

Biblioteca Vasconcelos is on of the few “megalibraries” in the world. This wharehouse of books, books, and more books can be found in the north area of Mexico City in the Buenavista neighborhood. Despite some closures due to construction defects, the architectural uniqueness (by Alberto Kalach) of this library put it on my list of super cool world libraries. If you can read Spanish, I would definitely check out their website here.

 

Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland

No super cool library list is complete without Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1592 by the very awesome Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity Library boasts the largest single chamber library anywhere. The famous room, known as the Long Room contains over 200,000 books and the oldest harp in Ireland. Most of the books housed in the Long Room are really, really old too.

The website here has mush more information on special exhibits passing through and admission information. If you do visit, however, you kind of have to see “The Book of Kells,” the four Bible Gospels in Vulgate Latin.

 

 

 

 

 The Abbey Library of Saint Gall: St. Gallen, Switzerland

The Abbey Library of Saint Gall (St. Gallen Switzerland) was founded by Saint Othmar somewhere between the 8^th and 15^th century. 

Unlike some of the other abbey libraries from the Middle Ages still around today, the books held at the Library of Saint Gall are available for public use. Those printed before 1900, however, must be read in the Reading Room. No one should complain, though, because the Reading Room is flippin’ awesome.

 In an earlier post, I mentioned how much I love the Pagemaster, the nestalgic 90's library movie with Pedo Christopher Lloyed going after the kid from Home Alone. Well, the ceilings here are just as gorgeous. This is a definite on any list to visit if you are ever in Switzerland. Feel free to read through their website for more information.

 

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library: New Haven, CT, USA

 The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library contains the important rare books and manuscripts for Yale University and scholars everywhere. The library is open to the public with permission and during special events and, even though you can't take them home, you can read these rare and exciting books in their extensive Reading Room.

The library has a central tower that is home to over 180,000 volumes and an underground book stacks of over 600,000 volumes, everything temperature and humidity controlled for preservation.

Lately, though, the library will undergo a major renovation beginning at the end of May 2015.  The renovation will replace the library’s mechanical systems and expand its research, teaching, storage, and exhibition capabilities.

The library will reopen in September 2016. A temporary reading room in the Sterling Memorial Library will provide researchers access to the library’s collections while work is under way. More about the renovation can be found here.

National Library of Belarus

 

Founded in the 1920's the National Library of Belarus houses the biggest collection of Belarusian materials in the world. It also looks pretty awesome.The building has 22 floors, completed in January 2006. It can seat about 2,000 readers and features a 500-seat conference hall. Its main architectural component has the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron, a word that is sure to impress any math teacher you have.

It has generated a collection of bibliographic, factual graphic, full-text, graphic, sound and language databases that comprise more than 2 million records, all on its own. This is in order to make a name and preserve the Belarusian language against the larger Russian dominance.

In addition to serving as a functional library, the National Library is a city attraction. It is situated in a park on a river bank and has an observation deck looking over Minsk. As of 2009 it is the only structure in Minsk with a public observation deck. The area in front of the library is used for many public concerts and shows.

'The Brain' Library at Free University: Berlin, Germany

The Philological Library at Free University in Berlin, also known as 'the brain,' s the newest section of the "Rust and Silver Lodges" complex on the main campus of the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany).

 It was designed and implemented in 2005 by architect Norman Foster in the cool shape of a human brain. The big brain part holds many smaller libraries for their many different subject areas, mainly the humanities. This is definately one of the coolest libraries around and would make a great photo-op both inside and out.