Best Libraries of the World

Strahov Monestary Library & Theological Hall  ,Prague

Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland

Wren Library,Trinity College,Cambridge University

Biblioteca Castilla La Mancha,Spain

National Art Library, London

Beatus Rhenanus Library, Basel

Biblioteca Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Bernadotte Library, Stockholm

Library of the Prussian King Frederic the Second, Germany

Library of Alexandria,Egypt

Bodleian Library, Oxford University

Library of the Prussian King Frederic the Second in Potsdam, Germany

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The world's biggest library

Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 

Bad Schussenried Bibliothekssaal, Baden-Württemberg,Germany

Royal Danish Library (also the "University Library" of University of  Copenhagen)

Vatican Library,Vatican City, Rome



In this article I will talk about the oldest and the most beautiful libraries of the world.Alexandria Library ,Egypt is the oldest library of the world(established in 200BC) but it was destructed and rebuilt .The 70 libraries listed here are not in order according to their age  but I just added them as these are the biggest ,oldest and most luxurious libraries of the world.I might have missed few ones but if I happen to discover them I will add them.

• 1.Strahov Monestary Library and Strahov Theological and Philosophical Hall ,Prague ,Czech Republic. Established in 1143,Europe's Classical library now transformed into Museum of National Literature.
• 2.Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen,Denmark .The is National library of Denmark and also the main Library of University of Copenhagen. Established in 17th Century.
• 3. Vatican Library, Vactican City, Rome. Established in 1475 it has 75,000 codices.
• 4. Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland  . Established in 719,one of the richest medieval libraries in the world.Since 1983 it has been a  UNESCO World Heritage Site.            
• 5. Biblioteca Angelica Library, Rome, Italy. Established in 1604 ,it is the first public library of Italy.
• 6. August Herzog Library, Wolfenbüttel, Germany. This library has collection from Middle Ages and Early modern Europe,Established in 1572.
• 7. Beatus Rhenanus Library, Basel, Switzerland . Beatus Rhenanus's private library.Inscribed in the UNESCO's Memory of the World in 2011.
• 8. Bernadotte Library, Stockholm Sweden
• 9.National Library of Scotland. Established in 1925 by Act of Parliament ,it contains over 20 million books and printed items.
• 10. Biblioteca Di Bella Arti, Milan and also National Library of Florence
• National Library of Florence is the largest library of Italy and the house of many priceless artifacts.It was established in 1714 but it contains many old books and collections from Renaissance era.
• 11. Biblioteca do Palacio e Convento de Mafra I, Lisbon Coast, Portugal.Library of the Mafra National Palace.A small but beautiful library.
• 12. Biblioteca do Palàcio Nacional da Ajuda Lisboa III, Lisbon, Portugal
• 13. Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. Established in 1537.
• 14. Biblioteca Palafoxiana, Puebla, Mexico.Included in UNESCO's Memory of the World.
• 15. Bibliotecha de la Real Academia De La Lengua, Madrid, Spain
• 16. Bibliotheque Alencon, Normandy, France
• 17. Bibliothéque Nationale de France, Paris, France.National Library of France and one of the biggest library of the world (and biggest in France).It was established under Louis XIV and it was opened to public in 1692.
• 18. Bodleian Library, Oxford University, England.Established in 1602 and the second biggest library in Britain.
• 19. Boston Copley Public Library, Boston, USA. This library includes more than 1.7 million rare books and manuscripts,it was established in 1895.
• 20. LSE Library(also known as British Library of Political and Economic Science).It is the world's largest social and political library.
• 21. Old British Reading Room, British Museum, London, England.A classic place to study.
• 22. Cathedral Library, Kalocsa, Hungary
• 23. Chetham's Library, Manchester, UK. England's oldest public library ,the meeting place of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
• 24. Dutch Royal Archives Library, Netherlands
• 25. El Escorial Library, San Lorenzo, Spain. The library formed in 1616 and is housed in the palace of King of Spain(Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial,Spain).
• 26. Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
• 27. George Peabody Library, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.19th Century research library of John Hopkins University.
• 28. Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag, the Hague, Netherlands
• 29. Hereford Cathedral Chained Library, Hereford, England .The library in Hareford Cathedral which was built in 1079.It contains many old books and manuscripts of ancient Europe and written with ancient hand writing and containing illustrations in gold and colour.Rare books were once kept chained to the bookshelf to prevent stealing.
• 30. Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar II, Germany
• 31. Joanina Library University of Coimbra, Portugal
• 32. Kremsmuenster Abbey Library, Kremsmünster, Upper Austria.The magnificent monastery library was built in 1680.
• 33. Biblioteca Castilla La Mancha, Spain
• 34. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C, is the world's biggest library.
• 35. Library of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada
• 36. Library of St. Walburga, Zutphen, Netherland (Preserved from the 16th Century)
• 37. Library of the Benedictine Monastery of Admont, Austria.The largest monastery library in the English speaking world.
• 38. Library of the National Palace of Mafra, Portugal.The library of Royal Palace of Mafra.
• 39. Library of the Prussian King Frederic the Second in Potsdam, Germany
• 40. Melk Monastery Library, Melk, Austria. 17th Century library which houses many many medieval manuscripts.
• 41. National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
• 42. North Reading Room, UC Berkeley, California, USA 
• 43. New York Public Library, New York, USA
• 44. Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp, Belgium.This library contains exceptional collection of typographical material.It was included in the UNESCO's Memory of the World in 2001.
• 45. Queen's College Library Oxford.Great medieval library in Oxford University.
• 46. Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Possibly the most beautiful library of them all.)
• 47. Rennie Mackintosh Library, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland.Rennie Mackintosh was the greatest artist of Scotland and this library houses his art and other art materials.
• 48. Riggs Library, Georgetown University, USA
• 49. Rijkmuseum Library, Amsterdam.The largest art history research library in Netherlands.
• 50. Riksdagen Library, Swedish Parliament Library, Stockholm, Sweden
• 51. Russian National Library, St. Petersburg. The oldest public library of Russia,Established in 1795.
• 52. St. Florian Monastery-Library, Austria
• 53. Salamanca Library, Salamanca, Spain.The General History library of University of University of Salamanca. It was established in 13th Century.
• 54. Sansovino Library, Rome, Italy.A library and a Renaissance building in Venice.It was built in 1537 and contains many important and rare manuscripts.
• 55. Sorbonne Library, Paris, France.Min library of Paris-Sorbonne library,it was built in 1253.
• 56. British Library ,London.  Biggest library of Britain and also the secound biggest in the world (after Library of Congress).The library was originally a department of the British Museum and from the mid-19th century occupied the famous circular British Museum Reading Room. It became legally separate in 1973, and by 1997 had moved into its new purpose-built building at St Pancras, London.
• 57. Stiftsbibliothek Klosterneuburg, Klosterneuburg, Austria
• 58. Suzzallo Library, Seattle, Washington. The central library of University of Washington 
• 59. The New Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• 60. University-Library, Helsinki, Finland Theology Room at St. Deiniol's library, North Wales
• 61. Trinity College Library. Also known as The Long Room, This is the largest library in Dublin, Ireland.
• 62. University-Library, Helsinki, Finland
• 63. National Library of Israel(Hebrew University of Jerusalem),Jerusalem.The national library of Israel and the biggest library of Judaica and Hebraica books.
• 64. Austrian National Library, Vienna, Austria
• 65. Waldsassen Abbey Library, Bavaria, Germany.Probably the most spectacular library in Germany.

66. Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge,England.The famous library of Cambridge University was built in 1695 .

    Its collection includes:

 Issac Newton's  "Principia Mathematica " with hand written notes for 2nd edition. 
 An 8th century copy of Epistales of St Paul.

 The Capell collection of early Shakespeare editions.

 A collection of autograph poems by John Milton.

 Several works of William Caxton ,including the first book printed in English and the first 
book  produced in England.
 Ramanujan's Lost Notebook.

• 67. Yale, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven, Connecticut.A library of Yale University ,Established in 1963.It contains many original and rare pieces of greatest writers of English Literature.
• 68. Library of Alexandria, Egypt(The Ancient Alexandria Library which is destructed now was built in 3rd Century).The biggest library of Egypt,the old Alexandria Library was built around 250 BC but it was destroyed and so this new building was made.
• 69. Harper Library Reading Room, University of Chicago,Chicago,USA
• 70. Bapst Library, Boston College,Boston,USA
• 71. Biblioteca Marciana of Venice, Italy

Biblioteca Marciana of Venice

Melk Monastery Library, Melk, Austria.

Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp, Belgium.

Rijkmuseum Library,Amsterdam

Sansovino Library, Rome

British Museum Reading Room,London

Suzzallo Library,University of Washington, Seattle

National Central Library of Florence,Florence

 Riksdagen Library, Swedish Parliament Library, Stockholm

Bibliothéque Nationale de France (National Library of France),Paris

Sorbonne Library (University of Paris), Paris

Kremsmuenster Abbey Library,Austria

Biblioteca Angelica, Rome

Biblioteca Geral, University of Coimbra,Portugal

British Library, London

Harper Library Reading Room, University of Chicago

Waldsassen Abbey Library, Bavaria, Germany

Austrian National Library,Vienna

Biblioteca Di Bella Arti, Milan

General  History Library , University of Salamanca

El Escorial Library, San Lorenzo, Spain

Admont Abbey Library, Austria

Biblioteca Angelica, Rome

George Peabody Library ,John Hopkins University

National Library of Finland, Helsinki

Melk Monastery Library, Melk, Austria

Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel,Germany

British Library,London

Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library,New York

Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library,New York

Cathedral Library, Kalocsa

Bibliotecha de la Real Academia De La Lengua,Madrid

Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag, Netherlands

Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar II,Germany

Kremsmuenster Abbey Library, Austria

Library of St. Walburga, Zutphen, Netherland

Biblioteca do Palacio e Convento de Mafra,Portugal

 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library,Yale University