Unique Libraries You Can't Miss: Edition I

Not everybody is into books but almost everybody appreciates a good library. Books, like wine, become prized possessions the longer they age. Manuscripts, photographs, music, a library houses them all and forms a wonderland tempting art lovers. Even if you are not a bibliophile, these libraries will surely woo you and you’ll be tempted to visit them:

BEACH LIBRARY
Where: Bulgaria

 

 

 

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This library under the clear skies is home to 6,000 books in more than 15 languages. With crystal clear water on one side and the sun on the other, the library has a wide variety of books including Bulgarian literature, memoirs and works of fiction. It has 140 white shelves made from a material resistant towards the sun and wind. Apart from that when the rains hit, the bookcases are protected by a vinyl cover. You can also donate your old books here and share your treasure with others.

Read: Unique Libraries You Can't Miss, Edition II

WEAPONS OF MASS INSTRUCTION
Where: Argentina

 

 

 

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Weapons of Mass Instruction is a mobile library roaming the streets of Argentina. The library is in the shape of a tank, a 1979 Ford Falcon — a vehicle which was popular with the armed forces of the military dictatorship at the time. The library carries literature of all sorts and is accessible to the young and old alike. The idea behind this ‘weapon’ is Raul Lemesoff and he agrees to give books on one condition, only if they promise to read. The library houses somewhere around 900 books.

TAIPEI PUBLIC LIBRARY
Where: Taiwan

 

 

 

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The library, Taiwan’s first green library lies within the vicinity of the very famous Beitou Hot Spring Park. The library looks like mysterious large tree house. However, ample amount of natural light gets through the windows making it a cosy and comfortable place to read. The ‘green’ library blends in perfectly with its surroundings. A part of the roof is covered in solar panels, the vertical design of the wooden balcony railing conserves energy by reducing the amount of heat-causing rays allowed to enter the rooms and the collected rainwater is used to water the library’s plants and flush the toilets. Also eco-friendly paint was used to reduce the amount of toxins released into the environment.

ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL CHAINED LIBRARY
Where: England

 

 

 

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Chained libraries are an ancient trend where in the books were chained to their shelves in order to keep the scarce collection within the library itself. However, the chains were long enough for a comfortable read. The books in the were endangered by a fire in the 1960s, the books still survive in their locks and kept in the Headmaster’s Study now. The treasure house has bookcases dating from 1897. The library was founded near the end of the 16th century and the oldest book within the library was printed in Venice around 1480, with the oldest English book printed in about 1500 bearing the imprint of Wynkyn de Worde.

KANSAS CITY CENTRAL LIBRARY
Where: US

 

 

 

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One cannot miss this library even if they want to because it appears to be a row of books lined up on a shelf except in this case the “books” are 25 feet high and nine feet wide. What lies behind this row of books a garage used for parking. The garage was built in the year 2006  in response to the need for additional downtown parking. The titles on the books reflect a wide range of famous literature. Titles of the 22 volumes represented include “The Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien and “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury among many others.

HALMSTAD CITY LIBRARY
Where: Sweden

 

 

 

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The Halmstad library extends across the wide expanse of the Nissan River like a bridge linking the historic part of town with the new urban development area. This uniquely designed library has the atrium as the focal point connecting the library’s three floors vertically. The idea of the design was inspired by the vertical trees on either side. The library has more than two lakh media in some 50 different languages. It contains books, magazines and newspapers from all over the world, cd’s, films, video games, talking books, digital books and digital music.

MAFRA NATIONAL PALACE LIBRARY
Where: Portugal

 

 

 

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The dream of a library within a palace comes true here. Magnificence is prevlant all across the library beginning right from the floor which is covered with tiles of rose, grey and white marble. The wooden bookshelves in Rococo style are situated on the sidewalls in two rows, separated by a balcony with a wooden railing. They contain over 36,000 leather-bound volumes, extending western knowledge from the 14th to the 19th century. These beautiful finished volumes were bound in the local workshop (Livraria) in the rocaille style. The library is also known for homing bats which protect the books from insect damage.

WIBLINGEN ABBEY LIBRARY
Where: Germany

 

 

 

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One of the most spellbinding libraries, the Wiblingen Abbey is delight for all. It is a two story library with two levels of windows and a slightly raised roof, which provides extra space for the domed ceiling. This library looks straight out of a dream as it has rich palette of golds, pinks and blues. The columns and statues although made out of wood are painted to look like marble. The library holds over 15,000 books and can mesmerize anybody with its magnificence and grandeur.

ADMONT ABBEY LIBRARY
Where: Austria

 

 

 

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This library was originally designed in the year 1764 and finally completed in 1776. The library is barrier free and the world’s largest monastery library. The architecture, frescoes, sculptures, manuscripts and printed works come together to form an impressive whole. It has centuries of knowledge that has been shared for so long.The library holds some 70,000 volumes while the Abbey in total owns nearly 2,00,000 books. The most valuable among these are the more than 1,400 manuscripts (the oldest dating to the 8th century CE) and the 530 incunabula (books printed before 1500).