Awe-Inspiring Academic Libraries Around The World

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of a library.”

-Jorge Luis Borges

Library of Trinity College, Dublin: Founded in 1592, this library is one of the most famous in the world. Its grandiose structure and quantity of books are amazing to behold. The “Long Room” houses over 200,000 titles. It’s also a “copyright” library, which means that all the publishers in Ireland have copies of their books available. The Library of Trinity College is also known for The Book of Kells, an ancient manuscript from the year 800 AD (which is amazingly illustrated even by today’s standards, complete with illumined gilt script)!

The George Peabody Library at John’s Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, is one of the country’s leading areas of research. Built in 1878, the library—also known as the city’s “Cathedral of Books”— is home to over 300,000 volumes and, because of its elaborate Greek Revival architecture, is considered one of the world’s most stunning places to read, study and even have a wedding ceremony!

The William W. Cook Legal Research Library at the University of Michigan (which is the oldest in the country, founded in 1817) in Ann Arbor is a part of Michigan Law School. The library is known for its grandiosity (it is large enough to hold 350,000 volumes of books) and beautiful appearance, complete with stained glass windows and spires. It is also known for its impressive Reading Room and metal work done by the famous blacksmith, Samuel Yellin (1884-1940).

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”

-Albert Einstein

The Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania was built by famed architect Frank Furness. Because of its sheer stateliness, it is a historical landmark and an example of brilliant Victorian architecture. Originally built in 1890, its brick and terracotta façade was inspired by cathedrals and, believe it or not, railway stations.

The Tama Art University Library in Tokyo is part of one of Japan’s leading art schools. With amazing arches supported by columns or “colonnades,” the building is almost like a museum: with over 5,000 square feet, it is a spectacular and spacious sight.

The Library at the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science, and Technology (AIMST) in Kedah, Malaysia, is a state-of-the-art learning center located on 230 acres of land in the foothills of Mount Jerai. Because of its exotic locale and many windows (that look like a lit lantern at night), one may not get their reading done for gazing out at the mountains.

For more information on some of the libraries discussed in this blog (along with their accompanying institutions of higher learning), consult the links listed below:

https://www.davenporthotel.ie/blog/trinity-college-everything-need-know-fun-facts/
https://www.facilities.upenn.edu/maps/locations/fisher-fine-arts-library-anne-and-jerome
https://www.library.jhu.edu/library-hours/george-peabody-library/

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