LIBRARIES & BOOKSTORES AROUND THE WORLD

 

LELLO & IRMAO BOOKSTORE, PORTO, PORTUGAL

September 8 was International Literacy Day and my inspiration to share favorite photos of bookstores and libraries that I have taken through the years.

In a recent article by MadameNoire, she recommends eight ways to reignite an interest in reading and suggests that finding a good library or a bookstore is one of them. “Being physically removed from your normal environment and surrounded by stacks of books....you'll be surprised at how you lose track of time while reading...”

The Driftles Book Store is located in an old tobacco warehouse in Viroqua, Wisconsin. With thousands of old books on its shelves, it has become a gathering place for book lovers, music events, community, and so much more. Come with time to browse and meet the owner, Eddy Nix, who believes there should be a bookstore in every little town.

Verbatim Books is a used and rare bookstore in North Park, San Diego, California, that was featured in a MyVintageJourneys post dated March 3, 2020. It offers comfortable reading nooks and seating areas to enjoy some quiet time with newly discovered books.

Biblioteca Angelica, Rome Italy, is one of the most ancient public libraries in all of Europe. Its floor-to-ceiling collection dates back to the end of the 13th-century. This hidden gem can be found near the Piazza Navona on the Piazza Sant' Agostino.

The Charlie Byrne-Bookseller is an independent bookshop in the heart of Galway City, Ireland. Since opening in 1995, it has become one of the most cherished retail and cultural spaces in the city. It offers new, second-hand, bargain, and antiquarian books.

Probably one of the most celebrated and famous bookstores of all time is Shakespeare and Company Paris. Located in a 17th-century building that was once a monastery. Opened in 1951 by American George Whitman who passed away in 2011 at age 98. The business continues as a popular Left Bank Literary institution under the management of his daughter, Sylvia Whitman.

There are some great stories about Shakespeare and Company including the thousands of people (referred to as “Tumbleweeds”) that have slept overnight among the shelves and piles of books. As payment, they were required to: read a book a day, work three hours daily in the store, and write a one-page autobiography.

The Library of Trinity College, Dublin is the largest library in Ireland and home to the famous Book of Kells. It also serves as is a legal deposit or “copyright” library,” which means that publishers in Ireland must deposit a copy of all their publications there.

Most libraries and bookstores do a great job of setting aside a special place for children. Pictured above is the children's section at the Coronado Public Library, California. It offers a small theater with dozens of puppets for the children to play with. Libraries are a favorite with my grandchildren.