World’s 20 Most Stunning Libraries

Over the centuries, kings, presidents, monks, and other luminaries have constructed libraries as more than mere book repositories, but as symbols of knowledge, power, and wealth. Many of their structures propose commanding architecture and some even house works of art and cultural treasures. Here are twenty of the world’s most stunning libraries, from a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the mountains of South Korea to the modern incarnation of the legendary library of ancient Alexandria.-Laura Itzkowitz