Longing for Libraries
Worldwide lockdowns have taken their toll on us all. So many freedoms that we had taken for granted, suddenly seem like distant memories. The pleasure of wandering into a library and browsing through the stacks is certainly a feeling we lament.
There is hope on the horizon, as June will see some of the social restrictions begin to ease in the UK. But for now, at least, we must content ourselves with fond memories and virtual exploration.
With this in mind, we have gathered for you some links to virtual library tours, images and videos of beautiful, unique and unusual libraries from around the world.
The Travellers Club in London produced a lovely film just last week. In it, the wonderful Sheila Markham discusses some of the many treasures found in its purpose-built clubhouse which was designed by Charles Barry in 1832.
Ilovelibraries.com have compiles a list of virtual library tours, including the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, and Seattle Public Library. Take a guided tour of these world-famous libraries, from the comfort of your own home.
In 2018, Taschen published a book of photographs by Massimo Listri titled, The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries. If it's not already lying on your coffee table, you can enyoy several of Listri's stunning photographs via this article from The Guardian >
This fun little film by Great Big Story takes a look at a number of intriguing libraries from around the world that share more than just books.
It includes a lovely section (about 8 minutes in) about the ‘Ask NYPL’ system that allows people to call up a librarian at the New York Public Library and ask any question. They have records dating back decades, of the most unusual questions they have been asked – such as ‘why do 18th century English paintings have so many squirrels in them? And how did they tame them so that they wouldn’t bite the painter? (Oct 1976) and ‘are Plato, Aristotle and Socrates one and the same person?’ (Nov. 1950).
Even in this age of Google, the librarians receive up to an impressive 30,000 calls per year.
The film also features ‘The Library of Smells’ in Berlin where artist and curator, Sissel Tolaas, has researched and collected millions of smell molecules in order to recreate smells from different times and places throughout history.
We do hope you enjoy exploring these libraries online. It's just a tiny taste of what is on offer, but hopefully inspires you to seek out more, and allow you to daydream about the future when we are all once again welcome through these doors.
Until then, happy virtual trails!
Credits: The image above is the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Massimo Listri/Taschen)