1- State Library Victoria: Melbourne, Australia, established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, State Library Victoria is Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free public libraries in the world. A Melbourne landmark and cultural icon, the library is a magnificent 19th-century building with some of the city’s most beautiful heritage interiors. A special highlight is the La Trobe Reading Room, with its majestic octagonal domed ceiling. The library's collections include Ned Kelly's complete armour, over two million books, hundreds of thousands of pictures, newspapers, maps and manuscripts, and masses of audio, video and digital material - all reflecting the changing face of Victoria over the past 150 years. The library's green lawn is a popular gathering spot, hosting events and busking performances.
2- Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Alexandria, Egypt, Alexandria’s ancient library was one of the greatest of all classical institutions. Opened in 2002, this impressive piece of modern architecture is a deliberate attempt to rekindle the brilliance of the original center of learning and culture. The complex has become one of Egypt’s major cultural venues and a stage for numerous international performers, and is home to a collection of brilliant museums. The building takes the form of a gigantic angled discus embedded in the ground, evoking a second sun rising out of the Mediterranean. The granite exterior walls are carved with letters, pictograms, hieroglyphs and symbols from more than 120 different human scripts. Inside, the jaw-dropping main reading room can accommodate eight million books and 2500 readers under its sloping roof, with windows specially designed to let sunlight flood in but keep out rays that might harm the collection. There are four permanent museums, a planetarium, and a conference center, a range of temporary and permanent exhibitions.
3- Piccolomini Library Siena: Piazza Del Duomo, Siena SI, Italy, located inside the Cathedral of Siena. Built by Pope Pius III in honor of Pius II, the library is famous for the frescoes painted by Pinturicchio and the sculpture group ” The Three Graces”. The Piccolomini Library is located along the northwest side of the cathedral. The library was commissioned between 1492 and 1495 by Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini (the later Pope Pius III). The exterior of the library is lined with a richly worked marble decoration by Marrina in 1497. After the death of Pius III, the library was decorated with wall and ceiling paintings executed by Pinturicchio. The ten paintings show as many important events in the life of Pope Pius II, while the entrance door depicts the coronation as pope of Pius III himself. It took Pinturicchio seven years, from 1502 till 1509, to finish the cycle. The center of the room is taken up by the famous sculpture group the “Three Graces”, a 3rd century Roman copy of a Greek original. The Cardinal purchased the work especially for the library. In display cases below the frescoes are a number of large antiphonaries (choir books with hymns), properties of the Cathedral and the Santa Maria della Scala hospital. Between 1469 and 1475, these books were decorated with miniatures by Liberale da Verona, Girolamo da Cremona, Sano di Pietro, and others.
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