Here’s to Libraries, Number Ten!

Located in the heart of Spain, the Royal Library of the Monastery of El Escorial is a stunning architectural wonder (as well as a World Heritage site designation).  Built in the Herrerian style, construction began in 1563 and was completed in 1584.  The library is housed on the second floor (in the west wing) and contains nearly 45,000 documents from the 15th and 16th centuries.  The monastery is huge and contains 15 cloisters, 13 oratories, 86 staircases, 88 fountains, more than 1,600 paintings, 9 towers, and 73 sculptures.

“When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you.”  (Keith Richards)

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

Posted by Tom Rink

Here’s to Libraries, Number Nine!

This week we will highlight the Biblioteca Joanina, the Baroque library at the University of Coimbra (Portugal).  This library was built in the 18th century while King João V ruled.  The library houses approximately 250,000 books from the 13th through the 19th centuries.  This historic library is considered a National Monument — the most visited monument on the campus.  The basement of the library had even served as a prison at one point in time.

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.”  (Sidney Sheldon)

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

Here’s to Libraries, Number Eight!

This week’s library tribute takes us to Baltimore, Maryland, to the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University.

The building was completed in 1878 and currently houses a 300,000 volume collection of 19th century resources (including a marquis collection of Don Quixote editions).  The interior was done in a Neo-Grec style and has a black and white marble floor, a 61 foot tall atrium (with a latticed skylight), and is surrounded by five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies with gold-scalloped columns.

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”  (Albert Einstein)

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

Here’s to Libraries, Number Seven!

This week’s tribute takes us to the Canadian Library of Parliament (in Ottawa).

Their vision: “To be Parliament’s preferred and trusted source of information and knowledge.”

Their mission: “The Library of Parliament contributes to Canadian parliamentary democracy by creating, managing and delivering authoritative, reliable and relevant information and knowledge for Parliament.

Their strategic outcome: “An informed and accessible Parliament.”

“A public library is the most enduring of memorials, the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, is respected by wars and revolutions, and survives them.”  (Mark Twain).

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

 

Here’s to Libraries, Number Five!

Here is a picture of the graduate reading room of the Suzzalo Library @ the University of Washington (in Seattle).  This library was named for Henry Suzzallo, (the president of the University of Washington)  President Suzzalo stepped down in 1926, the same year as the completion of the first phase of the library’s construction.  The architectural style is collegiate gothic and was inspired by Suzzallo’s stated belief that universities should be cathedrals of learning.

“I spent three days a week for ten years educating myself in the public library, and it’s better than college.  People should educate themselves — you can get a complete education for no money.  At the end of ten years, I had read every book in the library, and I’d written a thousand stories.”  (Ray Bradbury)

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

Posted by Tom R.

Here’s To Libraries, Number Four!

Having been raised in a family where both parents were librarians, my appreciation for, and my understanding of, the value of libraries was never in question.  These values were instilled in me early in life.  This week’s inspirational library is the Admont Abbey Library (Austria)  The Admont Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that houses the second largest monastic library in the world (the largest is in Mafra, Portugal).  In addition to its long-established scientific collection, the Abbey is known for its Baroque architecture, art, and manuscripts.

“Here was one place where I could find out who I was and what I was going to become.  And that was the public library.”  (Jerzy Kosinski)

Source: photo courtesy of danieldalton.me  (BuzzFeed).

Librarian Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

This message just came across one of my SLA discussion lists.   Just FYI.

“Frustrated with the lack of commercials or public service announcements (PSAs) for
libraries, the WJE Library partnered with “Library Production Studio” to create
videos for special and academic libraries. (PSAs for public and school libraries are
in pre-production.) The PSAs will run as commercials between segments of a local
access cable show called “What’s New in Libraries.” 

These PSAs have been uploaded to YouTube. 

Please help spread the word about libraries and what they do.

Academic segment:                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFV5mAeiFKo
Special segment:                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1d8Rx526NI

Posted by Tom Rink