Beautiful libraries

[Zostrianos]

I've always had a weakness for libraries, especially old ones. Here's some of my favourites.

Marquese de Fronteira, Lisbon, Portugal:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/435697408_854b106346_o.jpg

Strahov theological hall, Czech republic:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mTNoooAwi5I/TatXb457m0I/AAAAAAAAAZs/wnnK5yUefBM/s1600/032.JPG

Duke of Humphrey, Oxford:
http://despectacledlibrarian.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/duke-of-humphrey_s-library-bodleian-oxford-university-england1.jpg

Melk monastery:
http://www.artscatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/melk_-_abbey_-_library-1024x768.jpg

Trinity College, Dublin:
http://imgs.mi9.com/uploads/landscape/4976/trinity-college-library_1024x768_91988.jpg

[gorillafuck]

I like the kind with books

[Landsharks eat metal]

Just the concept of a library is beautiful :)

[Sasha]

not a old one at all, in fact its brand spanking new but the central libary of amsterdam is pretty neat too:
http://www.boekendingen.nl/wp-nieuws/wp-content/uploads/oba90-1.jpg
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Public-Library-Openbare-Bibliotheek-Amsterdam-e1275484789759.jpg

http://youtravel.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/public-library-amsterdam.jpg?w=468&h=311

although i must admit the harry potter feel of the one of the national museum has a lot going for itself too:

http://atlasobscura.com/uploads/assets/2-29-rijksmuseum-amsterdam.jpg

[Q]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2122/3529858107_483520b67e_z.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/3529857239_8c2657cb70.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2214/3530671352_cbb57b1c84_z.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2129/3530671738_f82bf11a95_z.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2266/3530675304_f3c5697915_z.jpg

Not pretty, but the International Institute for Social History in Amsterdam has a ton of amazing stuff archived of the workers movement of the past two centuries. Most of it can be accessed for free too if you go there. That last pic is actually the last remaining handwritten page of the manuscript that formed the 1848 Communist Manifesto (yes, Marx had a terrible handwriting).

[Franz Fanonipants]

all beautiful libraries are usually bankrolled by some evil fuckers

that said, samuel p. huntington was an evil fucker. but his library is baller as shit.

[Sasha]

Not pretty, but the International Institute for Social History in Amsterdam has a ton of amazing stuff archived of the workers movement of the past two centuries. Most of it can be accessed for free too if you go there.

you can search their collection online for free, i believe they send copy's for a quite reasonable fee: http://socialhistory.org/en

[Zostrianos]

Another one I'd like to visit in Amsterdam is the Ritman Library. It's not majestic looking, but houses some of the most important manuscripts from the Renaissance, and 4500 manuscripts and books printed before 1800.

http://heterodoxology.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/bph_09.jpg

[Deicide]

This is the Vilnius (the Capital of Lithuania) University Library, or more precisely, what's left of it. All the books have been moved to a new building. I actually plan on completing a Phd at this University (I'll see how that turns out!).

http://www.mathnet.ru/OrgLogos/2977/2977.jpg
It's one of the oldest Universities in ''Eastern'' Europe (founded in 1579), it's the oldest in the Baltics.



http://v5.cache7.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/50724282.jpg?redirect_counter=1

Spoiler tagged image because it's very large.

[manic expression]

NY Public Library:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/7d/71/33/ny-public-library-reading.jpg

John Rylands Library, Manchester:

http://www.livingstoneonline.ucl.ac.uk/ui/images/content/misc/rylands-rr.jpg

National Library of Finland in Helsinki:

http://www.orangenewsnow.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/national-library-of-finland-helsinki1.jpg

Hang your head in shame, modernist architecture.

[Deicide]

If you can, also post a picture of the library building (I'm a fan of architecture) and perhaps some history?

Most of these places will be going on my *visit at least once in your lifetime* list.

[Q]

If you can, also post the library building (I'm a fan of architecture).

Most of these places will be going on my *visit at least once in your lifetime* list.

Again the IISG:

http://www.wielersportboeken.nl/nieuws/1270980030iisg2.jpg

Yes, it's not pretty ;)

[bcbm]

i'm at the library now. i don't care about the architecture it would be better if it had a snack bar tho

[Franz Fanonipants]

i'm at the library now. i don't care about the architecture it would be better if it had a snack bar tho

idk why most libraries don't

[brigadista]

my local library used to be an aristos house . it is really beautiful.

the grounds are the local park and many people from the estates and renting their homes now use it in the summer because they dont have gardens.

the library used to have storytelling everyday for under 5s and computer facilities for those without ,much used by local kids to do their homework.

Local groups such as pensioner groups used to use the library to meet- it was lovely you could sit in this old building and look out onto the park-

there was a successful fightback by the community and all the groups using the library to stop a large part of the park being turned into a car park. and the local council's plans to turn the library into a registry office

the labour council have closed it... it is now a conference centre and access is closed to the community........ times are sickening...

[Decolonize The Left]

The Library of Alexandria is pretty far-out. I definitely want to see it when I make it to Europe.

http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/a01.jpg
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/343277863_57a6871f19.jpg

- August

[ColonelCossack]

Unfortunately the library at the British Museum has been closed for a few years. I don't like the imperialist nature of the British Museum (what with cultural treasures of other countries stolen by the British Empire), but you've got to appreciate the library where Marx put a great deal of work into writing Kapital.

[Susurrus]

Jacksonville Public Library; good place to visit, has a zine section, really cheap used bookshop attached.
http://www.ramsa.com/images/content/9/3/9301.jpg
http://www.thelightingquotient.com/images/projects/library/JaxCeiling/JaxLibrary2Ceiling_lg.jpg
http://www.whatsupjacksonville.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/library.jpg

[X5N]

I thought the Glendale Public Library was pretty neat.

Though, I haven't been to very many libraries.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef014e8883cb56970d-600wi

http://www.childrensliteraturecouncil.org/images/2008springworkshop/photogallery/glendalelibrary_buildingout.jpg

https://img-s.foursquare.com/derived_pix/OAVU1QU5UPKRDICLOMZJ2XNQAW2WGR3S4TMEAJS3WAIOBTAU_3 00x300.jpg

[Aloysius]

The library in my town looks fairly lame compared to most, if not all, of these. It's nice and cool in there, though.

[Ele'ill]

I like libraries with big glass windows in the summer time when the AC is on making that light droning noise. The best sleep I've ever gotten has been in libraries like this.

[ed miliband]

my uni has two pretty nice libraries:

old one:

http://www.paulmbaxter.com/imgs/gallerylarge/372_12872_5948318.jpeg

new(er) one (which people might find ugly but i quite like):

http://www.gallerynorth.co.uk/small/Leeds/Leeds%20University/Edward%20Boyle%20Library.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/20215540.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4030/4690403482_934346741a_z.jpg

it's like being in what they thought the future was like in the fifties

[l'Enfermé]

I'm glad to find out that I'm not the only person around here with a fetish for beautiful libraries.

[Quail]

I love the idea of a library where you have to climb a ladder to reach the books. I like the idea of old books as well, that hundreds of people have read before me, before I even existed.

[Rafiq]

I've been to the Library of congress in Washington D.C.

It was pretty neat