Although you may not think of your neighborhood library down the street as anything more than a big room full of books, libraries can be so much more. Most countries have national libraries containing not only vast amounts of historical information but also serving as an architectural tribute to the nation’s achievements. So, although you probably never thought this day would come, prepare to be awed by these 25 stunning libraries from around the world!
25
Amsterdam Public Library (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
24
Stockholm Public Library (Stockholm, Sweden)
23
George Peabody Library (Baltimore, Maryland)
22
National Library of Finland (Helsinki, Finland)
21
Villanueva Public Library (Villanueva, Colombia)
20
Jose Vasconcelos Library (Mexico City, Mexico)
19
Stuttgart City Library (Stuttgart, Germany)
18
Library at El Real Monasterio de El Escorial (Madrid, Spain)
17
State Library (Victoria, Australia)
16
The Royal Danish Library (Copenhagen, Denmark)
15
Suzzalo Library at the University of Washington (Seattle, Washington)
14
Iowa State Capital Law Library (Iowa, United States)
13
Kanazawa Umimirai Library (Kanazawa City, Japan)
12
Central Public Library (Vancouver, Canada)
11
Vennesla Library and Culture House (Vennesla, Norway)
10
Mitchell Library (Glasgow, United Kingdom)
9
Librije Zutphen (Netherlands)
8
Library of Parliament (Ottawa, Canada)
7
British Library (London, United Kingdom)
6
The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (New Haven, CT, United States)
5
Strahov Monastery Library (Prague, Czech Republic)
4
Admont Abbey Library (Admont, Austria)
3
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (Toronto, Canada)
2
Library Congress (Washington DC, United States)
1
Trinity College Library (Dublin, Ireland)
