Modern libraries are distinguished not only by new technologies, but also by very non-standard solutions in the field of architecture and design. We will introduce you to ten of the most unusual libraries in the world that captivate readers' hearts.

Kansas City Public Library, USA

In 2004, the Kansas City Public Library was moved to the vacant old First National Bank building. Two years after the library moved to its new location, a parking lot was built nearby, disrupting the architectural appearance of the building. To block the view of the parking lot, it was decided to build a wall in the form of a giant bookshelf.

The height of each “book” is 8 meters, width is 2 meters. On the “shelf” are “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “The Lord of the Rings” by John R. R. Tolkien, “The Invisible Man” by H.G. Wells, “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare and other outstanding works classics of world literature, selected based on a survey among Kansas City library readers. The library's interior design is done in a banking style as a tribute to the building's historical past.

Pargue Espana Library, Colombia

In the last century, the Colombian city of Medellin gained notoriety as the cocaine capital and nesting ground of South American cartels. To correct the reputation of Pablo Escobar's small homeland, the Colombian authorities initiated a number of projects in Medellin aimed at the cultural revival of the city.

One such project is the Pargue Espana library, built in 2007 and designed by Giancarlo Masanti. Thanks to its unusual design, from a distance the new Medellin library resembles huge rocks. Inside these polyhedral rocks there is a cultural center, numerous reading rooms, and modern computer classes. To carry out the construction of the library, a slum neighborhood on the slopes of a mountain near Medellin was demolished, and now, instead of ugly, lopsided favelas, three granites of science rise above the city.

Library Louis Nucerat, France

The world's very first inhabited sculpture is a building... a library! Built in 2002 in Nice by architects Yves Bayard and Francis Chapus, the library head instantly became one of the symbols of the famous French resort city. Access to the “brain” is denied to the average reader or tourist - only the administrative departments of the Louis Nucer library work in the statue. The library collection and reading rooms are located in a more traditional building next door.

Sandro Penna Library, Italy

“A UFO has arrived!” is the first thought that a tourist may have in Perugia when he sees the Sandro Penna Library in front of him. The library building is shaped like a flying saucer with transparent pink walls.

A futuristic interior, a competent mixture of natural and artificial lighting, sound insulation of reading rooms, round-the-clock operation of the library - all this attracts readers of all ages. Not without your help unique design the pink shuttle lures visitors, inviting them to take a flight into amazing world books.

Delft University of Technology Library, The Netherlands

Delft University is one of the largest technical universities in Europe, always keeping up with the times. An advanced university received an advanced library, and in 1997 a new library building was built. The “dugout library” blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape; students rest on its roof and walls, camouflaged to look like a steep earthen hill, after intense studies.

Inside the library there is a book depository, reading rooms, a university publishing house, a bookbinding department and book Shop. The library's interior design resembles a bunker built to protect itself from air attacks.

Geisel Library, USA

Another unique university library is the Geisel Library at the University of California, San Diego, named after the writer and philanthropist Theodor Seuss Geisel, who made a significant contribution to the formation of its collections. The “Tree of Knowledge” was erected in the 70s of the last century. The Geisel Library does not have a third floor because it was reserved for an emergency exit. At the entrance to the building there is a noteworthy color installation that reads: “Read, write, think, dream,” as if preparing the reader for a path along the endless tree of knowledge.

Bishan Public Library, Singapore

Innovation has not spared Singapore either. Designed by LOOKArchitects, the Bishan Public Library is one of Singapore's newest architectural landmarks. The main feature of the library is specially designated soundproof rooms for discussing books read.

“Thought rooms” are decorated with bright glass of all colors of the rainbow, creating a mood and a comfortable environment. The process of issuing books is fully automated; the reader receives his order in a maximum of five minutes.

Liyuan Library, China

Not only city libraries can amaze the imagination - in the village of Huairou an amazing “book temple” was built, similar to an ancient wooden fortress. Designed by Tsinghua University architecture professor Li Xiaodong, the library structure consists of glass and 45 thousand wooden rods.

There are no tables or chairs inside the library - they are replaced by multi-level terraces with inserted bookshelves. There are mats on the terrace shelves where you can sit and read a book right on the spot. The library building is not electrified, so the lighting is exclusively natural - through the transparent roof covered with wooden twigs. Due to the lack of electricity, the library is only open until 16.30 pm.

Library of Alexandrina, or New Library of Alexandria, Egypt

On the site of the legendary Library of Alexandria, destroyed almost two thousand years ago, the Library of Alexandrina was erected. About $238 million was allocated for the ambitious project (120 million by the Egyptian government), and by 2002, the heir to the library of Alexander the Great opened its doors to readers. The building is located inside the pool and is made in the shape of a disk, personifying both the rising of the sun of knowledge and the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra.

Inside the “sun” there is a whole library Universe: a gigantic fund of eight million books, numerous reading rooms (the main hall is located on 11 cascading levels and has an area of ​​70,000 square meters), a conference hall, specialized libraries for the blind, adolescents and children, four art galleries, a planetarium, and a laboratory for the restoration of ancient manuscripts.

On the walls of the reading rooms lined with Aswan granite are carved graphics systems from 120 language systems in the world. This architectural masterpiece was guarded by librarians and readers during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, forming a human chain around the library building and fighting off attacks from marauding crowds.

The Library Resort, Thailand

In Thailand, on the Chaweng beach of Koh Samui, a hotel-library, The Library Resort, was built. The hotel offers vacationers not only physical “relaxation”, but also cultural one - near the pool there is a library with a fairly substantial collection (there are even books in Russian).

The hotel has large reading rooms with a modern, minimalist design, but guests are also allowed to read books near the pool fresh air. You can read not only paper books, but also electronic ones: each room has iMac computers with free Internet access. An ideal holiday destination for lovers of the written word!

Libraries reflect man's most successful attempt at transmitting knowledge. IN modern world these majestic institutions have become important social structures that not only offer book reading, but are also meeting places different people, different ideas, discussions and debates. Libraries, and especially those presented below, are epicenters of activity in the areas where they are located. Here is a list of the 10 best libraries in the world where we would love to spend our days if they were just a little closer to us.

1.

Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library consists of 3 different buildings and is largest library in the world. The library is open to the public, but only members of Congress and other government officials have access to the books. The library also serves an important function as the "library of last resort" in the United States, confirming the availability of certain books to other libraries throughout the country.

The library's collection is simply astounding - it contains 32 million books, 61 million manuscripts, an advance version of the Declaration of Independence, a perfect parchment version of the Gutenberg Bible (1 of 4 in the entire world), more than 1 million newspapers from the last 3 centuries, more than 5 million maps, 6 million pieces of music and more than 14 million photographs and printed publications.

2.

Bodleyn Library is a library at the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602, it is considered the oldest library in Europe. The library contains more than 11 million titles historical significance, among them 4 copies of the Magna Carta, the Gutenberg Bible, Shakespeare’s “First Folio” (from 1623).

The library consists of many buildings, the most interesting of which is perhaps the Radcliffe Library. This is the very first round-shaped library in England. She also appeared frequently in a variety of films: Young Sherlock Holmes, Saints, The Red Violin and The Golden Compass.

3.

British Museum Reading Room is located in the center of the Great Court of the British Museum. It has a domed roof with a ceiling made of different types papier mache. For most of its history, only registered researchers were admitted here, and during this period, many notable figures studied here, such as Karl Marx, Oscar Wilde, Mahatma Gandhi, Rudyard Kipling, George Orwell, Mark Twain, Vladimir Lenin and H.G. Wells.

In 2000 the library collection was moved to the new British Library, and the Reading Room now houses information Center and a collection of books relating to history, art, travel and other subjects relating to the British Museum.

By the way, the British Museum is one of.

4.

After opening in 1848 Boston Public Library became the first library in the United States to be supported by public funds. Since then, it has grown to its current size and has 22 million units, which allows it to occupy the 2nd largest place in the United States.

The McKim Library Building was built in 1895 and contains many beautiful murals, including the most famous work Edward Abbey, which depicts the legend of the Holy Grail. The main room of the McKim building, Bates Hall, is known for its spherical ceiling. McKim's research collection consists of 1.7 million rare books, including many medieval manuscripts, incunabula, early works of Shakespeare such as the First Folio, colonial Boston records, the major collection of Daniel Defoe, as well as the libraries of many famous historical figures such as John Adams, William Lloyd Garrison and Matthew Bowditch.

If you are in these parts, do not forget to visit one of the nearby Lighthouses - Somerset Lighthouse.

5.

Incredible Seattle Central Library opened in 2004. Its modern glass and steel design was developed by architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prinz-Rasmus. The purpose of this design was to create an inviting open and free space and break the stereotype that libraries should be drab and drab to attract the younger generation and new target audience. The library has a capacity of 1.45 million books and receives more than 2 million visitors annually.

6.

Famous New York Public Library is awe embodied in its layout, scale and size. It is the third largest library in North America, which has more than 50 million items in its collection. It, in turn, consists of 87 libraries that serve 3.5 million people.

The main reading room of the library cannot but please the eye. The library's special collections include the first Gutenberg Bible to appear in America. She is also one of the most recognizable libraries in the world, thanks to her appearances in many Hollywood films, in the films “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Ghostbusters”, in which she played the main role.

7.

Library of the Abbey of St. Gall- the oldest library in Switzerland, contains about 160,000 works. This is one of the oldest monastery libraries in the world, containing manuscripts dating back to the 8th century. Since 1983 it has also been included in the World Heritage List. Many of the library's rare manuscripts can be accessed through an online portal. The library is always open to visitors, but for books published earlier than 1900, they can only be read on the website.

8.

Jay Walker is an American inventor and businessman who used his funds to develop an expensive private library. Walker calls his brainchild " Walker Library of the History of the Human Imagination" The library is located in his home in Connecticut and contains more than 50,000 books, including many early works and books, thanks to which it can be considered one of the main museums in the world.

The surreal architecture of the building is inspired by the work of Mariuc Cornelis Escher. Wired magazine called the library "the most amazing library in the world." The only reason it is so low on our list is because it is not open to the public.

9.

George Peabody Library is a research library at Johns Hopkins University. The library was part of the Peabody Institute from 1878 until 1967, when it came under city control, and was transferred to Johns Hopkins University in 1982 and now houses the university's special collections of books.

The library is famous for having the largest collection of Don Quixote editions, as well as many other works that date back to the 19th century. Very often the library premises are described as a “monastery of books” - the interior consists of an 18 m high atrium, a floor of black and white marble, as well as many balconies and golden columns. The library is open to both readers and visitors.

10.

Library of Alexandria was the largest library of antiquity and one of the wonders of the world. It is hoped that the new library, once refurbished, will one day live up to its famous predecessor. Construction of the library cost $220 million and was completed in 2002. The library functions as a cultural center that includes a planetarium, a manuscript restoration laboratory, art galleries and exhibition halls, museums, a conference center, and libraries for children, youth, adults and the blind.

Today the library boasts a collection of about 500,000 books, but in general there is enough space to accommodate 8 million books.

These libraries are a treasure trove of history, culture, a global heritage that we must preserve, cherish and pass on to our descendants. Which one would you like to visit?

03/14/2018 at 17:06 · Johnny · 700

10 largest libraries in the world

The list of 10 positions below includes the largest libraries in the world. The largest book repositories have at their disposal millions of paper publications, both in native and foreign languages. In addition to printed publications, these world book giants also have electronic media. The determining criterion for the scale of book depositories was the size of the fund at their disposal.

10. National Library of France

National Library of France(Paris) opens a ranking of the largest book depositories in the world, which contains the richest collection of literature in French. It is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, which for a long time was in the personal possession of the rulers of France. Its foundation occurred in the 14th century by Charles 5 the Wise. Currently, the reading room includes six buildings, and its book stock is 31 million items. About 1.5 million people visit this place every year.

9. National Library of China

National Library of China(Beijing) ranks ninth on the list. The Beijing reading room was opened at the beginning of the last century and was known as the “Library of the Capital Teachers' Chambers”. Modern name The book depository received closer to the beginning of our century. The area occupied by the institution is 170 thousand square meters. The library has a rich collection of rare books that are not found anywhere else in the world. The book depository was located in three buildings. The institution's stock contains more than 31 million items. More than 5 million people visit the reading room every year.

8. Royal Danish Library

Royal Danish Library(Copenhagen) is the largest reading room in Scandinavia, one of the ten leaders in the world in terms of the number of books and other publications stored in it in printed and electronic form. This book depository dates back to the mid-17th century, with general access to it only appearing at the end of the 18th century. Currently, the institution includes several buildings, the main one of which is located on the island of Slotsholmen. Over 33 million items are stored here. More than a million readers visit the walls of the reading room every year.

7. National Parliamentary Library

National Parliamentary Library(Tokyo) is in seventh place. The reading room was founded in the middle of the last century. It includes two largest branches, which are located in Tokyo and Kyoto. There are about 30 smaller subsidiary branches. The library collects all books published in Japan. The collection of the book depository contains books not only Japanese, but also in other languages. Eight collections are considered particularly important, including foreign books about Japan, ancient publications, etc. The reading room's collection exceeds 35 million items.

6. Russian National Library

Russian National Library(St. Petersburg) is located in sixth position in the library top. The unofficial name of the book depository, which was given to it by St. Petersburg residents, is “Publichka”. The library is recognized as a particularly valuable national heritage site, containing the most large collection books in Russian. It was founded in 1814. Currently, in addition to the main building, “Publichka” includes six branches, which act as a repository of unique publications and ancient handwritten books. The national treasure has a fund of about 37 million units. About a million people visit the reading room every year.

5. Russian State Library

Russian state library (Moscow) is located in the middle of the ranking of the largest book depositories in the world. It was founded in the mid-19th century and is located in a historical area called Old Vagankovo. The institution includes a complex of buildings, the main one of which is a nineteen-story book depository. Its total area is 85 thousand square meters. The lattice mesh laid between the tiers helps the building to withstand the full weight of the books. The number of seats in the reading room is more than 1,700, and the volume of the fund is close to 47 million items.

4. Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada(Ottawa) are responsible for the collection and preservation of Canada's documentary heritage. The materials that are in the institution’s fund come from others government agencies, national communities and private donors. The majority of the library's collection consists of materials that are directly related to the history and culture of the country. In addition to artistic and historical literature, the book depository contains artifacts, architectural sketches, works of art, etc. The institution's fund is approximately 48 million items.

3. New York Public Library

New York Public Library(New York) opens the three largest book depositories in the world. It is a private non-profit organization that is supported by private and public funding. The institution has several branches located in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. In total, the library has more than 80 departments. The general library collection includes over 50 million items, of which almost half are books. About 18 million people visit the walls of this reading room every year.

2. British Library

British Library(London) ranks second in the top three. It was founded in the 70s of the 20th century. The institution is financed by the British government. The library includes three branches located in different areas of London. All London residents over 18 years of age with library cards have the right to visit. The reading room stock today is about 150 million units.

1. Library of Congress

Library of Congress(Washington) is the largest library in the world, serving both regular school, and more global institutions engaged in scientific, political and research activities. It was founded at the very beginning of the 19th century, when the reins of government of the United States of America still belonged to John Adams, who allocated the first funds for the development of the institution. The initial fund was just over seven hundred books, which gradually began to increase. However, during the fighting in Washington, the library was completely destroyed. The restoration of the library began by order of the next president, Thomas Jefferson, who sold his personal collection, including more than 6 thousand volumes, to different languages. Currently, the library's collection is 155 million units, and it occupies three buildings located on Capitol Hill.

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10

  • Location: France Paris
  • Storage units: 31 million
  • Visitors per year: 1.3 million
  • Budget:€254 million
  • Date of foundation: January 3, 1994

The Bibliothèque Nationale de France is a library in Paris with the richest collection of French-language literature in the world. One of the oldest libraries in Europe, the largest library in France and one of the largest libraries in the world. For a long time it was the personal library of the French kings. The library employs 2,700 employees, of which 2,500 are full-time.

The main library repository is located on the left bank of the Seine, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris and is named after François Mitterrand. The most valuable part of the collection, the Cabinet of Medals and manuscripts, is stored in a historical building on Richelieu Street, in an ensemble of buildings of the 17th-19th centuries.

9


  • Location: China, Beijing
  • Storage units: 31.2 million
  • Visitors per year: 5.2 million
  • Date of foundation: September 9, 1909

The National Library of China is the largest library in the PRC. The National Library of China is comprehensive scientific library, national repository of publications, national bibliographic center, National Center network of library and information and scientific and technical libraries and the Development Center. total area The library occupies 170,000 square meters, ranking fifth among the world's libraries. By the end of 2003, the library had a rich collection of 24,110,000 volumes and was also ranked fifth among libraries in the world. The collection included 270,000 volumes of rare books, 1,600,000 volumes of ancient books. The library not only has the largest collection of Chinese books in the world, but also the largest collection of foreign language materials in the country.

8

  • Location: Denmark, Copenhagen
  • Storage units: 33.3 million
  • Visitors per year: 1.16 million
  • Budget: 392.4 million kr.
  • Date of foundation: 1648

The Royal Library is the national library of Denmark (Copenhagen). One of the largest libraries in Scandinavia and in the world. Contains many historical documents. All works published in Denmark since the 17th century are stored in the library's collections.

Between 1968 and 1978, one of the largest thefts took place in the library. Unidentified people stole approximately 3,200 historical books worth about $50 million, including manuscripts of Martin Luther, first editions of Immanuel Kant, Thomas More and John Milton. The loss was discovered only in 1975.

7


  • Location: Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto
  • Storage units: 35.7 million
  • Visitors per year: 624 thousand
  • Budget:¥21.8 billion
  • Date of foundation: February 25, 1948

The only national library of Japan. One of the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for use by members of the Japanese Diet. In terms of its goals and capabilities, the library is comparable to the Library of Congress (USA). The National Diet Library has two main branches in Tokyo and Kyoto, and smaller ones.

6


  • Location: Russia, Saint-Petersburg
  • Storage units: 36.9 million
  • Visitors per year: 852 million
  • Budget: RUB 1,215 million
  • Date of foundation: May 16 (27), 1795

The Russian National Library is one of the first public libraries in Eastern Europe, located in St. Petersburg. According to the decree of the President of Russia, it is a particularly valuable object of national heritage and constitutes the historical and cultural heritage of peoples Russian Federation. One of the largest libraries in the world, the second largest collection in the Russian Federation.

5


  • Location: Russia Moscow
  • Storage units: 44.8 million
  • Visitors per year: 1 million
  • Budget: RUB 1,950 million
  • Date of foundation: 1862

The Russian State Library is the national library of the Russian Federation, the largest public library in Russia and continental Europe and one of the largest libraries in the world; a leading research institution in the field of library science, bibliography and bibliology, a methodological and advisory center for Russian libraries of all systems (except for special and scientific-technical ones), a center for recommendatory bibliography

4


  • Location: Canada, Ottawa
  • Storage units: 48 million
  • Budget: C$162.63 million
  • Date of foundation: 2004

Library and Archives Canada (English Library and Archives Canada, French Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal government department of Canada responsible for collecting and preserving the documentary heritage of this country, texts, images and other documents related to the history, culture and politics of Canada . Archival and library materials come from government agencies, national communities and organizations, private donors, and also through the legal deposit system. The institution is located in Ottawa; its director holds the rank of Deputy Minister and holds the title of Librarian and Archivist of Canada.

The department was created by the Parliament of Canada in 2004 and combined the National Archives of Canada (established in 1872 as the Public Archives of Canada, renamed in 1987) and the National Library of Canada (established in 1953). After the merger, it employs just over 1,100 employees. It is currently regulated by the Library and Archives Canada Act.

3

  • Location: USA, New York
  • Storage units: 53.1 million
  • Visitors per year: 18 million
  • Budget:$250 million
  • Date of foundation: 1895

The New York Public Library is one of the largest academic library systems in the world. It is a private, non-profit organization with a public mission and receives both private and government funding. Historian David McCullough called the New York Public Library one of the most important libraries in the United States of America (the top five also include the Library of Congress, the Boston Public Library, and the university libraries of Harvard and Yale University).

2


  • Location: Great Britain, London
  • Storage units: 150 million
  • Visitors per year: 2.29 million
  • Budget:£141m
  • Date of foundation: July 1, 1973

The British Library is the national library of Great Britain. The law creating it by combining the British Museum library and a number of less significant collections was passed by Parliament in 1972. In accordance with it, the following libraries were united: the British Museum, the National Central (founded in 1916), the Patent Office, as well as the Council for the British National Bibliography, the National Lending Library (Boston Spa), and the National Bureau of Scientific and Technical Information.

1


  • Location: USA, Washington
  • Storage units: 155.3 million
  • Visitors per year: 1.7 million
  • Budget:$629.2 million
  • Date of foundation: April 24, 1800

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and the largest library in the world. Located in Washington. It is the scientific library of the US Congress, serving government agencies, research institutions, scientific workers, private firms and industrial companies, schools.

A special branch of the Library of Congress handles copyright issues.

In the new year, many will probably set a goal to read more) TravelAsk will tell you about the largest library in the world.

The main center of US science

The US Library of Congress is the largest in the world. It is located in Washington, and its collection exceeds 155 million books in 470 languages. In addition, manuscripts, audio recordings and films are stored here. And she is also one of the most beautiful.

Literature collected here of different nature, ranging from schools and research organizations to literature for government agencies.

The library has 18 reading rooms; they can accommodate almost 1,500 people a day. And if we talk about numbers in general, approximately 1.7 million readers visit the library every year, and 3,600 employees work here.

The history of the largest library

The library was founded on April 24, 1800, just at the time when Washington became the capital of the United States. Then a considerable sum was allocated for the creation of the first fund: 5 thousand dollars. They purchased more than 700 books that were intended for members of Congress. They gave the name to the library.

Less than 15 years later, the library was destroyed during the Anglo-American War. Then they completely burned almost the entire collection, including the most valuable books. But after the war ended, former President Thomas Jefferson sold his collection for $24,000. It contained more than 6 thousand unique books that he collected for half a century. Thus began the revival of the library. By the way, the main building was named after him.

However, the troubles did not end there: in 1851, there was another severe fire in the library, so it had to be restored again.

Unique collections

In the 20th century, the Library of Congress was supplemented by two branch buildings, one of which bears the name of its founder and second president, John Adams, and the second, the fourth US president, James Madison. The buildings are connected to each other by passages.

The library's collections are actually unique, at least because there are more than 5.5 thousand ancient books - incunabula - that were published in the first centuries after the invention of printing. In addition, there are huge collections of literature in other languages.

Thus, the Library of Congress contains the largest collection of Russian literature outside of Russia. In 1907, the management bought 81 thousand copies of books and magazines from the Krasnoyarsk bibliophile and merchant G.V. Yudin. Yudin was worried that with the outbreak of revolution and unrest in the country, his library would be lost, so he was forced to sell it. Nicholas II refused to purchase it due to lack of funds. From then on, the collection of Russian literature began to be replenished.

All collections have been transferred into digital format for several years now, but this is a very labor-intensive process. If the entire fund is transferred to electronic view, then approximately 20 terabytes of storage will be required.

How the library is replenished

Back in the 19th century, the government passed a law stating that any book published in the United States must be transferred to the Library of Congress in at least one copy. Every day the library is replenished by approximately 15 thousand items, including those donated. Thus, the annual increase in literary copies here is about 3 million.

Today the collection is so huge that if all the shelves were lined up in one row, their length would be almost 1.5 thousand kilometers. A lifetime is not enough to read at least a third of these books.

In addition to books, it houses 68 million manuscripts, 5 million maps (the largest collection of maps in the world), more than 3.4 million records and more than 13.5 million photographs. And, of course, comics, where would the USA be without them? There are more than 100 thousand of them, this is the largest collection in the country and, perhaps, in the world.

Interesting facts about the largest library in the world

Fact No. 1. The Library of Congress has the largest collection of 15th-century books in the Western Hemisphere. It also contains one of only three known copies of the Gutenberg Bible. It was with her that the history of printing began in the 1450s.

Fact No. 2. The Library of Congress has maintained a special collection of books for the blind since 1931.

Fact No. 3. In addition to comics and maps, there is also the world's largest collection of telephone directories.

Fact No. 4. Since 2006, the library has been collecting and archiving every public tweet.

Fact No. 5. The library spends about $100,000 on light bulbs each year.

Fact No. 6. Every day, except Sunday, the library offers free tours lasting about 45 minutes.

And even the largest libraries in the world

As for the top three, second place is occupied by the British Library in London, whose collection is not far ahead: 150 million copies.

The third place is occupied by the New York Public Library, with 53 million items. By the way, it is visited annually by a record number of people - 18 million readers. As for Russian libraries, the Russian State Library of Moscow and the Russian National Library of St. Petersburg are in 5th and 6th place with 45 and 37 million copies, respectively.