There are only two things a reader loves more than books: a steaming hot beverage and a well-stocked library. Libraries have been the ultimate safe havens for readers for as long as the written word has been around. And there's nothing nearly as comforting as being surrounded by the smell of old books and the prospect of a literary adventure.
On Book Lovers Day today, here's a list of the 7 best, bucket list-worthy libraries from across the world that every bibliophile must visit before they die! Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the New York Public Library in New York One of the most iconic public libraries in the world, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the New York Public Library has been the focus of many novels and movies.
Located in mid-town Manhattan, the building itself has an estimated 2.5 million volumes spanning over 4000 years and despite its impressive collection, the main attraction is its ornate baroque ceiling. David Sassoon Library and Reading Room in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai After a 16-month restoration process which began in February 2022, the David Sassoon Library has become one of the most iconic libraries in all of Mumbai as well as one of Asia's oldest functioning reading rooms.
While the library is on the smaller side, it houses nearly 30,000 books and a verandah that overlooks the bustling cafe scene of Mumbai — an exemplary showcase of how you can preserve the heritage surrounding historical Indian reading rooms in the 21st century. Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City, Mexico The popularity of brutalist architecture has greatly declined over the years as maximalist palettes take over the world. But one unique library in Mexico City still employs a fortress-like structure — with a chilling quality that induces goosebumps, this library is reportedly modelled to represent ‘an ark, a carrier of human knowledge, immersed in a lush botanic garden’.
While the stacked books make for a tremendous sight, what’s even more awe-inspiring is Gabriel Orozco’s husk of a dead whale suspended midway above the ground floor. Strahov Monastery Library in Prague, Czech Republic The Theological Hall at the Strahov Monastery Library hosts a pure white ceiling painted with the most breathtaking artwork representing biblical scenes and surrounded by red and gold shelves, the area is a scene straight out of a librarian's fever dream. The Philosophical Hall is another place you cannot miss when you visit.
It sports a magnificent ceiling painted by Austrian painter Franz Anton Maulbertsch, illuminating shelves upon shelves of books. Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading houses around 400,000 volumes including rare original manuscripts and unique folios. Designed by architect Rafael da Silva e Castro the fabulous library includes a cast iron sky-light and statues depicting important Portuguese figures, tucked away in little nooks — not to mention the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves straight out of Beauty and the Beast (1991).
Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt While the original Library of Alexandria does not exist anymore, the newer Bibliotheca Alexandrina is made completely of hand-carved stone, possibly to prevent the former library's tragic fate. Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt, this mammoth has the space for 8 million physical books along with a symbiotic partnership with the Internet Archive which is a public library for digitised books, and not one but four in-house museums. Starfield Library in Gangnam, South Korea More of an open public space than an actual library, the viral Starfield Library in Gangnam, South Korea offers a wide selection of books for the curious bibliophile.
The 2-storeyed library houses 13-meter tall bookshelves that hold more than 50, 000 books — what can possibly feel more surreal than taking an escalator up the side of a bookcase to read all the titles? A veritable dream for the avid reader. While it's true that nothing transports you into a world of imagination quite like a good book, when that experience is combined with the ambience of an iconic library, reading becomes truly otherworldly..
