24/03/2021
âą TOP 10 âą
10. International Picture Book Library, Iwaki Japan
They say you shouldnât judge a book by its cover, but The International Picture Book Library in Iwaki, Japan, courteously disagrees. This structural marvel contains only children'sâ books, all faced outward so that kids can pick the ones that appeal to them most.
Photo Credit: Ken Lee
9. Russian National State Library
The State Library of Russia is the 4th largest book repository in the world. Located in Moscow, the library contains 17.5 million books, in 247 languages. Originally named for the Vladimir Lenin, the library owns a copy of every book published in the USSR.
Photo Credit: Vladimir Tokarev: Creative Commons
8. Trinity College Library in Dublin
The largest in Ireland, Trinity College Library is home to the famous âLong Room,â a 213 foot-long, corridor which houses 200,000 of the libraryâs oldest books. Trinity College is also home to the famous âBook of Kells,â a 1200-year-old illuminated manuscript of the four New Testament gospels.
Photo Credit: Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0
7. Epos Library, Norway
Norwayâs Epos Library is the only one on our list today that has no fixed location, because it is located on a boat. Since 1959, this 85-footer has travelled up and down the scenic fjords of Norway, sharing its collection with the inhabitants of 150 rural Norwegian towns.
Photo Credit: Anders: Creative Commons
6. The University of al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco
One of the worldâs oldest continually operating libraries is located in Morocco, at the University of al-Qarawittin. Founded in 859 A.D. by a woman named Fatimah al-Fihri, this living relic houses 4000 rare books and ancient Arabic manuscripts. It has recently been refurbished and opened to the general public.
5. U.S. Library of Congress
The most voluminous library in the world and likely the largest in the history of the planet, the U.S Library of Congress houses some 164 million items. The repository was originally built to allow US congress to perform research and also houses the US Copyright Office.
4. Klementinum Library, Prague
The Klementinum Library in Prague, Czech Republic is part of a large Jesuit compound, once the third largest Jesuit school in the world. The ornate filigree and delicate columns enframing the books carry with them a strong sense of history.
3. Bodleian Library, Oxford University
One of Europeâs oldest and most beautiful libraries, Oxfordâs Bodleian Library contains 12 million books, including every single volume printed in the UK over the past 400 years. Their collection includes Shakespeareâs first folio and the first book in Arabic movable type.
2. Vatican Apostolic Library
The heart of Catholic Christendom on Earth, Vatican City houses one of the most ancient and mysterious European libraries. The library contains upwards of 80,000 manuscripts and 1.6 million volumes. Notable documents include the epistles of St. Peter on scrolls, the oldest known Bible in the world, and Galileoâs trial documents complete with his signature.
1. Library of Alexandria, ancient Egypt
Originally called the Shrine of the Muses, this wonder of the ancient world was a center of intellectual activity, a research institution, and a public lending library. Founded in 306 BC, the library swiftly became the most impressive repository of knowledge in the world. The great archive suffered from several fires throughout its long history, and faced its final destruction in 642 AD when Alexandria was invaded by the Muslim army of âAmr ibn al-âAs.
