Library Love

I love libraries.  Love them.  L-O-V-E them.

This is probably not surprising because I love to read and am studying literacy as part of my doctoral program.

But seriously - I love libraries.

I have a bucket list of libraries around the world that I want to see; they are often the sights I look forward to most when we travel.

And I was able to visit one of them today:

The Old Library at Trinity College Dublin.

It was breathtaking!  The photos below are from The Long Room that holds over 200,000 books.  I could have spent the entire day in there.

Afterwards, we also went to the National Library of Ireland.  Another gorgeous building!  Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the Reading Room, but I did take pictures everywhere that photography was allowed!

There was a display on which visitors are encouraged to list the title of their favorite book and why they loved it.

We looked through the entries and were extremely amused to find everything from Ulysses by James Joyce to Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.  What I posted?  The Harry Potter series because it is brilliant.

We came across this beautiful dedication and

thought it was so perfect that I had to share it.

Such a lovely tribute to what was clearly a very special man.

1855 – 1922

In Memory Of

Thomas William Lyster

For twenty-five years the able and enlightened librarian

Of this library whose enthusiastic love of books and

Whose kindly nature endeared him to all who knew him

The tribute of many friends

MCMXXIII

What a perfect way to spend the day in Dublin!

Happy Tails to you!