Libraries are so much more than collections of books. Among the world’s most universal and democratic places, they are also outstanding icons of architecture that represent the societies that built them. This title celebrates the world’s oldest and grandest shrines to the written word, as well as new and tiny ones: from baroque palaces to micro-libraries made of recycled plastics, and the unlikely ones in between.Looking at the diverse architecture of global libraries throughout the ages, this volume goes further and explores the very idea of libraries themselves. This is a book about the beauty of books, a book for book lovers and for those who believe in the power of ideals.