😳✨ would you try the secret door?
📍Admont library is the largest monastery library in the world and one of the most impressive ones I know.
🙏 thanks to @benediktinerstiftadmont I had the privilege to discover this secret feature and Roy the view from above.
Videocredits: @baroqueblockbuster
#baroqueblockbuster #admont #austria #visitaustria #visiteurope #library #secretlibrary #books #booklover #booknerd #librarylife #librarylove #librarybook #librarydesign#klösterreich
🇮🇹 This library-on-wheels is Italy’s Smallest Library…
“Without a book, so often the child is alone” says Antonio La
The retired schoolteacher converted his three-wheeled van into a mobile library, the Bibliomotocarro. Driving the hills and mountains of Basilicata, Italy, La Cava can reach children in remote villages like San Paolo Albanese, which only has two children of primary school age.
“ I was apprehensive about growing old in a country of non-readers.” La Cava believes it’s essential to spread the joy of literature to as many children as possible: “carrying out such action has a value, not only social, not only cultural but has a great ethical meaning.”
La Cava hopes his Bibliomotocarro brings the message that culture is made by and for everyone, not just a privileged few.
📖 PROTECTORS OF THE WRITTEN WORD is an upcoming book telling his untold story and the ones of 24 other inspiring protectors of books in the digital age. Launching in June 2024. Follow our Kickstarter page for 35% off.
#ProtectorsOfTheWrittenWord
📚 Discover the inspiring story of Mohammed Aziz, the oldest bookseller of Rabat’s Old Medina in Morocco. A man selling books in a country that “cannot read”.
Orphaned at the age of 6, Aziz attempted to fish as a means to afford his dream of graduating high school. At 15, Aziz awoke to the reality that he would not be able to finish his education—the textbooks were too expensive. Angry and without a diploma Aziz’s more than half-century career as a bookseller began.
“This is how I take my revenge on my childhood, my situation, my poverty,” Aziz says. Aziz is the oldest bookseller in Rabat’s medina (old city).
In the 55 years Aziz has been selling books, Morocco’s illiteracy rate has decreased from 87% in 1960 to 32% in 2014.
The frustrated bookseller has been angry at this. Roughly three in 10 Moroccans still cannot enjoy his books or any books for that matter because they don’t know how to read.
Aziz attributes the country’s continued low literacy rate to the percentage of students, that, like him, do not finish school and had to go out there to make a living.
Only 53% of students enrolled in middle school continue to high school. “This problem isn’t new,” Aziz said. “It happened to me 50 years ago, and it’s happening now.”
Aziz took matters into his own hands and in a few decades, his shop became a melting pot for people from all over Morocco and the world.
Providing books in all of Morocco’s people who want to self-educate but can’t afford to is a dream Aziz hopes to one day fulfill as long as he gets a few hours with the books first. “My life revolves around reading,” Aziz said.
"I’ll be here till everyone can read. I’ve read more than 4,000 books, so I’ve lived more than 4,000 lives. Everyone should have that chance.”
📖 PROTECTORS OF THE WRITTEN WORD is an upcoming book telling his untold story and the ones of 24 other inspiring protectors of books in the digital age. Launching in June 2024. Follow our Kickstarter page for 35% off.
📸: Hamza Nouasria
#ProtectorsOfTheWrittenWord
Marilyn Jager Adams is an American cognitive psychologist known for her influential work on early literacy and reading development. Her research emphasizes how simple acts, like reading aloud with children, shape the foundation for lifelong learning.
Did you know? British actress and author Tilda Swinton, known for her roles in Orlando, Michael Clayton, and Doctor Strange, studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Her ever-evolving career has been shaped by bold collaborations that continue to redefine the boundaries of cinema. In an interview, she shares Notes for Radical Living, a poem from her book. It is a manifesto for embracing life’s instability with grace and creativity. From dancing daily to looking beyond the binary, she also recited it with quiet clarity. It feels like an extension of her artistic life, where ideas are not just performed, but lived with intention and openness.
Video Credit: NOWNESS and AnOther Magazine via YouTube
Looking forward to visit the most beautiful libraries in Amsterdam? We’ve got a curated list just for you:
1. @rijksmuseum , Rijksmuseum Research Library, located at Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo Credits: Juri Schick, Gül Işık, and Guido Douven)
2. Ets Haim Library, located at Mr. Visserplein 3, 1011 RD Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo Credits: @wonderlust.amsterdam , Peter Lange / JTA, Esnoga, Brill Reference Works, and @tjarko.evenboer )
Discover the full list in Link in Bio 🔗
Beautifully captured by @marcos.thatcher - JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY - A major research library and part of the University of Manchester, the John Rylands Library is located on Deansgate in Manchester. Founded by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband, it was designed by architect Basil Champneys and opened to the public in 1900. It holds extensive special collections, including rare books, manuscripts, and archives of international significance. Known for its striking neo-Gothic architecture, the library combines historic spaces with modern research facilities, supporting both scholars and the public through access, exhibitions, and displays.
📍@thejohnrylands , 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
- Wednesday to Saturday: 10AM - 5PM
- Sunday to Tuesday: Closed
Photo Credit: @marcos.thatcher
#johnrylandslibrary #manchester #uk #visitmanchester #librariesofinstagram
German author Cornelia Funke (born 1958) became one of the most beloved authors of modern children’s fantasy. After working as a book illustrator, she began writing stories of her own, later gaining international acclaim with novels such as Inkheart, Dragon Rider, and The Thief Lord. In much of her writing, she reflects on the enduring magic of stories and the special bond between readers and books.
Set in the heart of Polanco, Mexico City, Cafebrería El Péndulo Polanco blends a bookstore, café, and cultural space, featuring lush interiors, towering bookshelves, and a striking spiral staircase that connects its two levels. A vibrant hub for readers and creatives, it has been crowned the fifth most beautiful book café in the 2025 #1000LibrariesAwards Top 10 Most Beautiful Book Places in the World.
📍 @cafebreriaelpendulo , Alejandro Dumas 81, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 8AM - 11PM
- Sunday: 9AM - 10PM
Photo Credits: @cafebreriaelpendulo , ManiaforBeatles via Reddit, @ikamalnor , and Dakota Prosch
Discover more in the Link in Bio 🔗
Beautifully captured by Alvaro Arguelles - CĂRTUREȘTI CARUSEL - Set inside a beautifully restored 19th-century building in the heart of Bucharest, Cărturești Carusel is a breathtaking bookstore where light, space, and literature come together in perfect harmony. Its elegant white spiral balconies rise across multiple levels, illuminated by a grand skylight that fills the interior with natural light. Beyond its extensive collection of books, the space blends art, music, and culture, featuring gallery areas and a bistro that invite visitors to slow down, like settling in with a good book.
📍@librariile_carturesti , Strada Lipscani 55, 030033 București, Romania
Opening hours:
- Monday to Sunday: 10AM - 10PM
Photo Credit: Alvaro Arguelles via Alamy
#cărtureșticarusel #romania #bucharest #visitbucharest #bookshopsofinstagram
