beauty and the beast library

This one’s for the girls (and guys) who watched Beauty and the Beast as a kid and wished they could visit that gorgeous library. Check out this compilation of the 15 libraries to visit before you die according to Trip Advisor Japan.

15 – Kyoto International Manga Museum (Kyoto, Japan)

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The Kyoto International Manga Museum is housed in a decommissioned elementary school and features Japanese works ranging from the postwar period to modern day. The collection also includes manga works from all over the world. You can even enjoy reading your favorite book or comic out on the museum’s lawn.

14 – Oxford University Bodleian Library (Oxford, UK)

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The Oxford University Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and contains a copy of every single book published in the United Kingdom. It is also famous for being featured in the Harry Potter series of movies.

13 – Ambrosian Library & Art Gallery (Milan, Italy)

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The Biblioteca Ambrosiana contains twelve manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci, including the Codex Atlanticus, and over 30,000 manuscripts written in several different languages. The art gallery contains works of art from da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Raphael.

12 – British Library (London, UK)

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Functioning as the national library of the United Kingdom, the British Library contains over 150 million items, including the Magna Carta. The library also houses Mozart’s Thematic Catalogue, compositions by Handel, and handwritten music manuscripts by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

11 – State Library of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)

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Patrons of the State Library of Victoria are treated to natural lighting while browsing the archives thanks to an atrium ceiling reaching three stories high. The La Trobe Reading Room with long tables radiating from the center of the room and Cowen Gallery are not to be missed.

10 – French National Library (Paris, France)

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The National Library of France is the repository of all articles published in France. The archives contain over 10 million books and 350,000 manuscripts, as well as maps, coins, woodblock prints, and LP records.

9 – Trinity College Library (Dublin, Ireland)

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The Trinity College Library is the largest library in Ireland and home to the Book of Kells, said to be the most beautiful book in the world. The Long Room of the Trinity College Library resembles the Jedi archives of the Jedi Temple in Star Wars Episode II.

8 – Royal Portuguese Reading Room (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

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Built in the late period gothic architectural style, the Royal Portuguese Reading Room looks more like a church. Resting on the floor-to-ceiling shelves are over 45,000 antique Portuguese works, perfuming the air with the scent of well-read books.

7 – Seattle Public Library (Seattle, USA)

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The newest feature of the Seattle Public Library is an automatic check-out service utilizing wireless tags attached to each book. The library also has 400 public computers for patrons to use and free wireless Internet. They even have a substantial collection of manga.

6 – Machi Tosho Terrasow (Nagano, Japan)

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This library is located in the smallest municipality within Nagano prefecture and is a major contributor to the revitalization of the local community. The library not only acts as a place to borrow and read books; workshops and events are also held for local residents.

5 – Salt Lake City Public Library (Salt Lake City, USA)

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This beautiful glass-sided library is located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City and features four floors of spiraling fireplaces that resemble a column of fire and three glass elevators.

4 – Royal Danish Library (Copenhagen, Denmark)

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The exterior wall of the Black Diamond building at the Royal Danish Library is made of South African black granite; its glittering walls are not to be missed. This library is the largest in the Northern Europe and is famous for containing manuscripts of Hans Christian Andersen.

3 – Yale University Library (New Haven, USA)

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The second-largest academic library in North America, the Yale University Library possesses one of the largest collections of rare and historical books and manuscripts.

2 – Strahov Theological Library (Prague, Czech Republic)

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Located in one of the oldest Premonstratensian monasteries in the world, the Strahov Theological Library contains over 200,000 works. Beautiful fresco paintings depicting the profession of the librarian are painted on the ceiling of this Baroque-style library.

1 – Jose Vasconcelos Library (Mexico City, Mexico)

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Designed by architect Alberto Kalach, the books in this Mexico City library hang from the ceiling in true science fiction style. The collection is said to contain nearly one million books.

My bookshelf suddenly looks so small.

Source: Trip Advisor Japan