In the past, these libraries served as archives, art galleries, and laboratories, and were the proud intellectual repositories of monasteries or palaces. The prominent facilities in this list could also impress with their unique design and outstanding architectural decor, which turns the buildings themselves into miraculous works of art.
The library of the 11th century abbey in Styria can boast that it is the largest monastic library in the world.
This magnificent Rococo library contains thousands of leather-bound volumes, dating from the 14th to the 19th century. It is also famous for its homing bats, which protect the books from insect damage.
The 65-metre-long (213 ft) main chamber is a hallmark of the Irish library, which displays the iconic Book of Kells - a true masterpiece of elaborated medieval art.
The library has the largest collection of Portuguese works outside Portugal - a total of 350,000 volumes.
The Abbey of Saint Gall, founded in the 8th century, can impress readers with ancient manuscripts (including the Song of the Nibelungs) and old printed books.
A functional modern library building, a "temple of knowledge and space for contemplation," was built in 1850.
The library of the Johns Hopkins University was completed in 1878 and described as a "cathedral of books."
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© AP Photo / Beth J. Harpaz
The facility claims to be "the largest library in the world." It includes 32 million cataloged books and documents in 470 languages, and also contains more than 61 million manuscripts.
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This magnificent library was created by King Felipe II of Spain, who sacrificed his own books for the facility in 1562, also ordering the purchase of valuable works from abroad.
The 800-year old library of the Czech monastery has a collection of 130,000 books, an outstanding art gallery and a Cabinet of curiosities.
The Manuscripts department of the library contains the largest collection of medieval and modern manuscripts in the world.
This German library focuses on historic literature, and is also famous for its big collection of maps and atlases.
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