Photos of "the world's most exquisite libraries"

If this interests you you might check out a copy of http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-On-Shelf/dp/0965004554 Fewer photos, but a nice history of book shelving nonetheless.

Is there a library book containing a list of all books not found in any library?

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You from the Toon, like?

Indeed.

James Campbell: “The Mafra Palace Library in Mafra, Portugal is at 88 meters the longest Rococo monastic library in the world. Sadly the original designs are lost but we think it would have been covered in gold leaf with an ornate painted ceiling. However, because the construction lasted from 1717 to 1771, by the time it was completed a simplified decoration was adopted. The library also hosts a colony of bats who come out at night to feed on the insects who would otherwise eat the books.”

impressive!

An example

Fantastically rare instantiation; commonplace data.

Small world, eh? Small town too, really. The cows in the middle of it are a dead giveaway for that, mind :smile:

If not, such a book should include itself.

Hm. Actually, this also depends on how far one stretches the definition of “library”. I had occasion recently to paw through the volumes of a Registry of Deeds going back to fairly early American times (I know, unimpressive for those of you on the other side of the puddle)… if a library is a storage location for books, that certainly qualifies. Probably the earliest volumes I’ve actually had my hands on.

My dear fellow, that’s practically yesterday:wink:

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I’m very aware of that. “In the US, a hundred years is a long time. In the UK, a hundred miles is a long distance.”

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One of the thumbnails used here is of a library that appears to be the inspiration for a fight game level in Soul Caliber 2 although being punchy punchy in such a place is doing it such a disservice!

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