These libraries are not only a place to provide knowledge to people, but also a symbol of culture, knowledge and architectural marvels.
“The only thing you must know is the location of the library” – this famous quote by Albert Einstein clearly reflects the importance of libraries in our lives. Here are 9 magnificent libraries around the world.
George Peabody Library, USA
George Peabody Library is a magnificent library in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. In 1857, philanthropist George Peabody dedicated the library to the citizens of the city of Baltimore.
Today, the library has a total collection of more than 300,000 entries, covering topics as diverse as architecture, geography, discovery, American literature, British and American history, British art, and more. There, a large number of books were kept from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
The George Peabody Library is also known for its impressive architectural design. The building was designed by architect Edmund G. Lind. The decorative balconies are made of cast iron, the ceiling is up to 18m high dotted with gold-plated columns, making this place bring a regal beauty.
New York Public Library, USA
The New York Public Library is the fourth largest library in the world. The library has a collection of 53 million entries with 60,000 manuscripts, 800,000 digital images, 431,000 maps and 16,000 atlas.
The New York Public Library also holds the original of Christopher Columbus’s letter, written in 1493 during his first voyage, announcing the discovery of the new world by the great explorer.
Founded in 1911, the magnificent New York Public Library is also the largest marble building in the United States. Countless marble blocks were used to construct this massive building. The library’s grand entrance has two impressive lion statues and the words “patience and courage”.
There are also 6 sculptures by American sculptor Paul Wayland Bartlett. Each statue represents philosophy, poetry, drama, history, religion and romance. The main hall is called “Astro Hall” with beautiful decorative lights and ceilings. The library’s reading rooms are also designed with impressive large arched windows.
Stockholm Public Library, Sweden
The Stockholm Public Library is one of the famous landmarks of the city of Stockholm. Founded in 1928, this wonderful library was designed by architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. It houses a collection that includes 2 million books, 2.4 million audio tapes, … in more than 100 different languages.
The Stockholm Public Library is Sweden’s first public library that allows visitors to access books for free without the need for assistance from library staff. All the furniture in the rooms are designed for their specific locations and purposes. Inside the library building there are also lots of windows to let in natural light.
Real Gabinete Spanish de Leitura Library, Brazil
The Real Gabinete Spanish de Leitura library in downtown Rio de Janeiro is also known as the Portuguese royal English reading room. The library has the second largest collection of Portuguese literature in the world. It was founded in 1837 by Portuguese immigrants with the aim of developing the popularity of Portuguese literature in the new colony.
The Portuguese Reading Room holds 350,000 works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Many of these provide invaluable information on Portuguese culture and history. The library also has a small collection of sculptures, coins, and paintings.
In addition to its extensive collection, the Portuguese Reading Room is notable for its astonishing architectural beauty. The Portuguese Gothic style was used to build this library. Visitors can see four spectacular sculptures at the entrance to the library. These sculptures depict the four great Portuguese including Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, Luis de Camoes and the Infante Henry.
Wooden bookshelves and decorative doors also give the library a unique look. The library’s reading room features a beautiful skylight structure made of iron and an attractive chandelier arrangement.
State Library of Victoria, Australia
The State Library of Victoria is a cultural icon of the state of Victoria, Australia. The library has a total of 2.2 million entries. Importantly, it contains many important items such as magazines and paintings explaining Victorian history and culture.
The library’s collection also includes hundreds of thousands of audio files, maps, photographs, newspapers, and manuscripts. In particular, the diary of the famous Austrian explorer John Batman and the armor of the Austrian jungler Ned Kelly are the most important historical documents in the collection of the State Library of Victoria.
The library also offers excellent works of art and exhibitions for visitors. The State Library of Victoria’s galleries display important artefacts, pictures, manuscripts and maps. These priceless items reflect the story of Victoria in different periods of history.
In addition to its extensive collection, the State Library of Victoria is also known for its impressive architectural design, domed reading rooms, conference rooms and conference centre. The dome reading room or La Trobe reading room is the library’s most important attraction. The room has an octagonal design and can accommodate 600 readers at a time.
Library of Congress, USA
The Library of Congress in Washington DC is the largest library in the world, both in terms of shelf space and volume of books. The library contains 158 million entries. The Library of Congress’s vast collection includes 33 million books, 13.5 million photographs, 98 million manuscripts, 6.7 million tracks, 5.5 million maps, and 3.5 million audio recordings. . This collection is also continuously added each year.
The Library of Congress was established in 1800 as part of the new Parliament building. In 1814, the library was destroyed by the British army. Later, former US president Thomas Jefferson donated US$24,000 and 6487 books to restore the library.
However, only members of Congress and staff members are allowed access to the library’s vast collection. But interested readers can also read e-books uploaded to the library’s official website. In addition to the largest collection of books, the Library of Congress is also known for its stunning architectural design.
Trinity College Library Dublin, Ireland
With a collection of over 6 million prints, the Trinity College Dublin Library is the largest library in Ireland. Libraries have the privilege to receive materials published in the country free of charge. Today, the library has a large collection of journals, manuscripts, audio files, maps, and e-books.
The main room, 65m long and 13m wide, is the main attraction of the Trinity College Dublin Library. The room is decorated with a series of marble busts of famous writers and philosophers. Today, the long room holds more than 200,000 old books from the library. It is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland.
Admont Abbey Library, Austria
The Admont Priory Library is the largest monastic library in the world. It is part of the Admont Abbey in the town of Admont in the Austrian state of Styria. Admont Library is 70m long, 14m wide, with seven domes in the ceiling. They represent different stages of new information discovery and divine revelation.
The gallery also includes a number of impressive sculptures. The sculptures were created by the famous Irish sculptor Josef Stammer. The overall design and art in this gallery represent enlightenment.
The Admont Priory Library has a collection of 200,000 volumes, many of which were written before the 16th century in Europe. In addition to its priceless collection, the Admont Abbey library is globally renowned for its art and architecture.
National Library of France, France
The National Library of France is the third largest library in Europe. It was founded in 1461. Later, the library was moved to a magnificent new building in 1995.
The new building of the National Library of France features four 24-storey L-shaped towers located at the corners of a large precinct. They have a unique structure like open books. In the middle of the buildings is arranged a magnificent garden.
It has a capacity of 1600 readers at a time. There are also dedicated reading room areas for researchers. Inside the library is arranged many transparent glass, providing natural light for the reading rooms.
The library has a total of 40 million items, including 14 million books and publications, 10 million historical documents, 5000 Greek manuscripts, hundreds of thousands of photographs and maps. The library’s collection also grows with 150,000 new publications each year.
