What do you think of this library?
This is the Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. While I appreciate the amount of money that was lavished on this library, I find it a bit off-putting. I want to curl up with a book, write in the margins (I know that makes some people cringe, but for me, writing in a book is a sign of love and affection! Naturally this is true only for books I own. Writing in library books is a capital crime.)
I prefer the more humble version of the library below. This is Chetham’s Library, the oldest library open to the public in England. It is a good, sturdy building that is meant to house books. I could comfortably spend hours, days, months in this library.
Oh, and even the outside of the Chetham Library is wonderful:
