Great Libraries

Libraries are some of the most incredible tributes to human knowledge imaginable, and with their range of resources and building architecture, they are invaluable when it comes to studying.

If you love reading books, Libraries are some of the most spectacular buildings in the world. These are the great Libraries around the world that all book lovers should visit at once in their lifetime..

Great Libraries in the World

National Library of India

The National Library, foremost among the libraries in India, is one of the four designated libraries entitled to receive under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954 a copy of every publication published anywhere in the country. The library is a permanent depository of all reading and printed materials produced in India, or written by any foreigner, wherever published and in whatever language.

The origin of the National Library is traced to the former Calcutta Public Library, established in the first half of the 19th century. The Calcutta Public Library was established largely at the initiative of Mr. J. H. Stoqueler, the Editor of the Englishman. Read more..

Official Website of National Library of India

Library of Congress (Largest library in the world)

Library of Congress, the de facto national library of the United States and the largest library in the world. Its collection was growing at a rate of about two million items per year; it reached more than 155 million items in 2012. The Library of Congress serves members, committees, and staff of the U.S. Congress, other government agencies, libraries throughout the country and the world, and the scholars, researchers, artists, and scientists who use its resources. It is the national centre for library service to the blind and physically handicapped, and it offers many concerts, lectures, and exhibitions for the general public. Read more..

Official Website of Library of Congress

World Amazing Libraries

The Tianjin Binhai Library, Tianjin, China

This library is a book lover's dream come true. It is 33,700 square meters, five levels and has enough shelf space for 1.2 million books. It was completed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and local architects from the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute. It's nicknamed "The Eye."

"The angles and curves are meant to stimulate different uses of the space, such as reading, walking, meeting and discussing. Together they form the 'eye' of the building: to see and be seen." - Winy Maas, Co-founder of MVRDV

There's a giant globe in the centre of the library. It has an auditorium hidden inside. The climbable shelving acts as a "book mountain." But there's a catch...Not all of the books are real.

You can find a lot of books in other reading spaces beyond the main atrium space. There are sections geared for children and education. The library has become a tourist hot spot since opening in 2017. It begs for the perfect Instagram photo.

Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK

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.