MAY 30, 2023 GRACE EBERT

Seinäjoki Library, Seinäjoki, Finland. All images courtesy of Gestalten

A new book returns to the fundamental beauty and communal nature of libraries, traveling the globe to visit some of the most alluring places.

In the U.S., libraries have increasingly been attacked by the far right as part of a movement to impose unjust book bans and protest diversity and inclusion efforts. Although the public institutions are sites of contention at the moment, they’ve historically functioned as beacons of knowledge and democracy, spaces that are free and open to all.

Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A recent book published by Gestalten returns to the fundamental beauty and communal nature of libraries, traveling the globe to visit some of the most alluring places. Written by Marianne Julia Strauss, Temples of Books: Magnificent Libraries Around the World celebrates the stunning architecture and quietude associated with wandering the stacks. From the exuberant Manuelinestyle of Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura in Rio de Janeiro to the modern concrete-and-wood structure of Phillips Exeter Academy Library, the volume encompasses a vast range of aesthetics and eras across more than 40 physical and virtual locations on six continents. […]

Phillips Exeter Academy Library, Exeter

More: ‘Temples of Books’ Is an Ode to the Grandeur and Democratic Ideals of Public Libraries — Colossal