ooooh, *pretty*...

[chelidon]

From barboora, Librophiliac Love Letter: A Compendium of Beautiful Libraries

OMG. I have to go wipe the drool off my keyboard now...

Comments

[blue-sky-48220.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. Thanks!

[firebirdgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's pretty much the best link ever!

[america-divine.livejournal.com]

Wow. Very nice.

Many of the photos have a lot of dynamism. There's the image of the library as staid and dusty, but in many of these the shelves seems to pop and crackle with all the ideas and lives and stories. Temples, of course.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and exactly. I was particularly intrigued by the ones (mostly at universities) that look like converted cathedrals. Worship, for sure, but of learning, art, culture, instead of some external divinity. In reading, we take the sacrament of knowledge into our bodies, making them even more holy...

[america-divine.livejournal.com]

A good many of them look like there's no contradiction between the two, at least in patron or architect's minds.

For me, it buzzes because it's such a visual metaphor for "God" or social whole... From the library, I expect plenty of contradictions, arguments and colonizations. It's not a neutral sacrament, but an Abraxian one that imbibes both good and evil. The towering shelves reflect and sacralize the dark aspects as well, all there, arcane and ordered: hiddenness , conflict, overwhelming chaos, futility. They demonstrate both wealth AND desperation. As with cathedrals, part of the effect they have on me is in their hunger and yearning and reaching--the visual hint that the answer's not in this building and method at all, the poignancy of the "futile" quest. But then for me, every contradiction is numinous and more interesting than knowledge.

[america-divine.livejournal.com]

by "patron" of course I meant the builders... not users ;-)

[lylythe-strega.livejournal.com]

Wow...um, Rick, about that addition. I've got some ideas... :>

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

You know that a proper Library is a part of the post-lottery-winning plan....

[lylythe-strega.livejournal.com]

...amongst other things, yes...

[artemis112.livejournal.com]

I thought some of them looked familiar... so I counted. I've been to 13 of them. I love, love, love visiting libraries. Especially ones as beautiful as these!

Thanks for the link!

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Real temples, for sure! Some of those I'd consider travelling to just to see the library...wow.

[snakey.livejournal.com]

Along with other commenters on that site, I say: Where's the library at Lincoln's Inn?! I could spend my life in there. It's incredible. I hope they add it soon. :)

[ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com]

yes! droool....I've been to a few on the list and yum!

[redwill.livejournal.com]

The Folger was my favourite of that group.

Man, that page is tough on dial-up.