Librarians on Holidays
What do Librarians get up to when they go on Holiday? We go to and visit libraries around the world, of course.
Between the team, we have visited many libraries around the globe—enough to form a recommendation list. So when you are next travelling, why not pop into a library?
European Holidays
Starting off in France. An excerpt from one of our colleagues:
I visited the Conde Musee library at the Chateau de Chantilly near Paris several years ago. It was one of the most amazing libraries I’ve visited. We went to see the art gallery specifically but found that there was so much more to see. The library holds vast collections of books from the Middle Ages, and many rare illuminated manuscripts, mainly collected by Heni d’Orleans, who was one of the greatest collectors of his time. The reading room was designed to showcase all the manuscripts collected by Henri d’Orleans and many of the previous owners of the chateau, and many of the most beautifully bound books are also on display there. It holds the Très riches heures du duc de Berry. A book of hours by the Limbourg brothers, commissioned by the Duke of Berry in the 15th century and said to be the most beautiful illuminated manuscript in the world. It was purchased by Henri d’Orleans in 1856. We were lucky to see it in the original but it is now displayed in digital form most of the time to preserve it. There is also a book on the life of St Denis, which is one of the few embroidered bindings made in France which has been preserved and has the initials of Marie de Medici enhanced with pearls on the front and dates from 1629. Certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area!
Looking elsewhere in Europe, may we recommend the following:
Trinity College Dublin Library: The largest library in Ireland dating back to 1592. The Book of Kells Exhibition has attracted visitors since the 18th Century to see a 9th-century gospel manuscript. All inside the incredible Old Library You can visit 7 days a week and tour the magnificent library. (tcd.ie/library/about/history.php)
The Klementinum Astronomical Tower and Baroque Library: After Prague Castle, it is the second largest building in Prague. Albert Einstein taught there and Wolfgang Amademus Mozart played. Located in the old town, it was originally founded as a Jesuit College in 1556, before merging with Charles University in 1622. Baroque Library wasn’t founded till 1722. The library is decorated in frescoes and nods to Greek mythology. The library is home to over 6 million items and hosts the ‘longest continuous series of meteorological observations in Europe’ which dates back to 1775. (prague.eu/en/objevujte/the-clementinum-astronomical-tower-and-baroque-library) A tour is a must.
We also want to give mention to the Royal Danish Library. And if you are looking closer to home, we have Manchester Central Library, Bodleian Libraries in Oxford and Ornkey Public Library.
Libraries further Abroad
Starting off in the United States, we want to give special mentions to:
Boston Main Library: Founded in 1848 and ‘was the first large free municipal library in the United States’ (bpl.org/bpl-history/) and became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. You can find over 23 million items including works from Mozart and Shakespeare. The central library has been home to art and architecture spanning three centuries. One of the founding principles of the library was to be welcoming to all. The design keeps that in mind. It was ‘to be a palace of people’s own’ (bpl.org/art-architecture/).
New York Public Library : The largest public in the United States. The library is home to over 54 million items including originals from James Baldwin to Augusta Savage. The New York Public Library is an iconic feature of Midtown.
Moving from the States, the National Digital Library of Korea. The newest library on the list opened in 2009. Often refer as dibrary, combining library and digital. A Part of the National Library of Korea, it has over 264 million items. The building won an architecture award. The library was created in response to the growing digitisation of information and resources, to preserve the efforts of libraries for future generations.
Now we might be biased but we fully recommend visiting a library on your travels, you never know what you might find.
Like our recommendations, we also have a recommended reading list.
Photo by Alejandro Barba Unsplash
