Nerd Alert: World’s Most Beautiful Libraries

I just got home from a library conference and this roundup of beautiful libraries popped up in my Tumblr.

Trinity College (Dublin) Library (via Oddee)

Rijkmuseum (Amsterdam) Library (via Oddee)

Ironically, the conference today was about mobile technology and pushing library content to users wherever they are, but I still think experiencing the physical space and purposeful hush of a real bricks-and-mortar library is essential and irreplaceable.

Any global shortlist is bound to be subjective, so here are a few of my favorites that didn’t make the list:

Boston Public Library: The original McKim building is an example of civic architecture that inspires and uplifts (as opposed to civic architecture that numbs and depresses, like nearby Boston City Hall).

Boston Athenaeum: One of the oldest libraries in the country; it’s members-only and everything from the huge red and bronze double doors to the Wednesday afternoon teas screams old-school Boston elite.

Biblioteca Laurenziana: This library in Florence was designed by Michelangelo, so it’s basically perfect.