College library

New York Public Library NYPL

Image 26 of 44 from gallery of Magdalene College Library / Niall McLaughlin Architects. Photograph by Nick Kane

Though they are losing ground to the e-book and the audiobook, public libraries were once central hubs of human intellectual progress. There's something about them that still attracts people, however – whether it's their magnificent historical buildings or the unmistakable smell of old books and dust, scholars and bookworms alike still enjoy perusing their hoards of literary treasures.

The Tower Room at Baker Berry library is stunning

Mottled red brickwork was used to build the gabled walls of this English school library by Mitchell Taylor Workshop.

Image 6 of 33 from gallery of Barnard College, The Milstein Center / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Photograph by Magda Biernat