With education as our focus here at The Best Colleges, we obviously love libraries. College libraries, public libraries, private libraries — whatever and wherever they are, we love them all. For those of you not "of a certain age," a library is a quiet building that houses tons of books and reference materials, typically dating back to Ye Olde Pre-Internet Times. We may not be as reliant on brick-and-mortar libraries anymore, but even in the digital era, we had no trouble finding dozens of architecturally interesting libraries and libraries with interesting collections, as well as many that are actually fascinating in both respects. We'd love to spend a day in any of these libraries catching up on our reading and enjoying the sanctuary-esque vibes. The following 35 are libraries that we thought deserved a closer look — we hope you'll agree!
1. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS — WASHINGTON D.C., USA
The Library of Congress in Washington DC is essentially both the national library of the U.S. and the country's oldest federal cultural institution. Though it consists of only three buildings, it is the largest library in the world for shelf space and number of volumes. While open to the public for on-site research and as a tourist attraction, as the research institution of Congress, only members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and other specified government officials can check out books. The library is formally known as the "library of last resort" in the U.S., charged with making certain items available to other national libraries if all other means have been exhausted. The library's holdings are vast, including more than 32 million books, more than 61 million manuscripts, a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, one of only four perfect vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the world, over one million newspapers from the last three centuries, over five million maps, six million pieces of sheet music, and more than 14 millions photos and prints.
2. BODLEIAN LIBRARY — OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM
Established in 1602 as Oxford University's library, Bodleian is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. The library houses more than 11 million items, including many of historical importance: four copies of the Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, and Shakespeare's First Folio (from 1623), just to name a few. Though Bodleian comprises multiple buildings, perhaps the most visually interesting is Radcliffe Camera, built in 1737-1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library. The earliest circular library in England, Radcliffe has outlasted its 15 minutes of fame by appearing in multiple films, including Young Sherlock Holmes, The Saint, The Red Violin, and The Golden Compass.