treefell, is it sometimes used as a lecture hall/auditorium?
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:32 (4 years ago) Permalink
I remember this as being a nice looking library.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:39 (4 years ago) Permalink
A bit low on the murals and high on the lo-tech IT
If it's painted ceilings you're after then Duke Humfrey's reading room in the Old Bodleian across the cobbles does better than the Rad Cam, though nothing on those continental ceilings.
― a passing spacecadet, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:39 (4 years ago) Permalink
(the british library reading room pictured there is no longer in use :/)
― FREE DOM AND ETHAN (special guest stars mark bronson), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:41 (4 years ago) Permalink
Wow, spececadet. That's great! When's it from, the 15th or 16th Cent?
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:42 (4 years ago) Permalink
"The Library is composed of three major portions; the original medieval section (completed 1487, rededicated 1602), the Arts End (1612) to the east, and Selden End (1637) to the west."
To be honest I'm not sure which part those pictures are of. I think it may be the 1612 one. The older bit is similar in style but a little more open and less showy IIRC.
― a passing spacecadet, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 15:56 (4 years ago) Permalink
Finished in 1489, apparently, to house Duke Humphrey's rather large bequest.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 16:10 (4 years ago) Permalink
xpostsThe Playfair Library is used for lectures, conferences, exams, corporate events and even weddings.
― treefell, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 16:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
No odd weddings allowed?
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 16:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
Saint-Florian's on the list Dr. C.
I know! I'm lobbying for it! Vote Florian!
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 17:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
Also that diaoporama isn't exhaustive, apparently. The article it's linked to has photos of the Escurial and Duke Humphrey's Room and references to several others.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 17:39 (4 years ago) Permalink
yale university's sterling memorial library is one of my favorites. utterly amazing:
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:42 (4 years ago) Permalink
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:43 (4 years ago) Permalink
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:46 (4 years ago) Permalink
yale's rare books and manuscripts library is pretty cool, too. no windows to protect the contents
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:51 (4 years ago) Permalink
hmm guess the images aren't showing up
it's called the beinecke library anyways
yale is in western europe now?
― (Palm) springs sprungs (Lamp), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:52 (4 years ago) Permalink
haha sorry i totally just realized the thread title like two seconds before you said that
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
but i'm still gonna post photos of the beinecke if they show up:
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
guess i just thought it was a 'let's talk about cool libraries' thread w/o realizing it
― mark cl, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
I do really like the decadence of some of these, but Trinity superbly shows off the beauty of the books themselves, so I'm really tempted to go for that one. I shall have to drool over the pictures some more, I think.
― emil.y, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
I won't get bent out of shape by shout-outs to cool libraries anywhere but I really am most curious about old European ones. I wonder about old libraries in Eastern Europe. I bet Crakow or St. Petersburg or Budapest have some crazy bookeries too.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 19:45 (4 years ago) Permalink
Collegium Maius Library at Jagellonian University in Crakow.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 19:52 (4 years ago) Permalink
Old Library, Money Museum in Utrecht.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 19:56 (4 years ago) Permalink
Library, Hofburg, Vienna.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:00 (4 years ago) Permalink
Library at Chatsworth.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
Fontainebleau
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:04 (4 years ago) Permalink
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Laurentian Library)
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
La bibliothèque du Duc d'Aumale, Chantilly
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
Biblioteca do Palacio e Convento de Mafra I, Lisbon
Handelingenkamer Tweede der Staten, Den Haag
Another one of Admont, all taken from this immense repository: http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=78
― ogmor, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 20:50 (4 years ago) Permalink
Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:05 (4 years ago) Permalink
Kremsmuenster Abbey Library
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
Vatican Library
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:09 (4 years ago) Permalink
Riksdagen Library, Stockholm
Strahov Monastery, Prague
Klementium Library, Prague
― ogmor, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:11 (4 years ago) Permalink
i love the trinity college one, though it's far from my favorite here. i don't mind the familiarity, or maybe in fact the familiarity is what makes it?
my favorites on this thread: the Old Bodleian library, the klementium, the beinecke. some of the others are beautiful but i think my preference runs towards ones which hint at a certain darkness, maybe.
― u have a new mistress my friend and her name is little debbie (omar little), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:18 (4 years ago) Permalink
The Hague and Stockholm are wowing my eyes out! Both so impossibly airy....
― But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:20 (4 years ago) Permalink
Czech National = Clementium, btw.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
Voted for Trinity, simply and understating.
Also, I’m a little dubious of the list as there are no libraries in Liverpool.
― not_goodwin, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
Oddly, and I don't know how much this points out the deficiencies in my googling ability, the lack of interest (for at least photographing them) amongst Germanics for old royal libraries (or their having been destroyed) or the lack of interest or dedication in royal or aristocratic families in Germany but I found precious little in the way of princely or royal libraries.
― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 May 2009 21:33 (4 years ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 13 May 2009 23:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 14 May 2009 23:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
I visited the Sainte-Geneviève Library and it was very very beautiful (I took pics and may post a few here eventually). It had great iron work in the ceiling. I also spent time in the Mazarine Library of the Institut de France, the library of the Sorbonne, and of the Banque de France. I missed my chance to visit the BNF's Richelieu library (also on this poll), but I will going there in the near future. These libraries are great and I'd like to find an excuse to work in them but it's kinda silly also as they have very few books, and so very very few on the topics I work on. But I could bring my laptop and work there for a day just to soak in the awesomeness, like Marx in the British Library (my beard is getting to Marx length at this point, so it would work).
― Soul Finger! (Euler), Monday, 21 September 2009 12:48 (3 years ago) Permalink