Have libraries, will travel.

My older brother is a huge baseball fan, so every once in a while, he and a friend of his will take a road trip to a different Major League ballpark. I have no idea how many they've seen because I don't pay a lot of attention to those details when our mother passes them along to me.

I, personally, have been to three Major League ballparks. Four, if you count Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park. I'm going to. So four.

While I do enjoy a game or two, I'm not exactly checking off a list here. It's not that important to me because I'm not on that level of fan-dom.

However, my nerd came out to play when I saw this list of the 10 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the United States. Not only am I an epic bibliophile, I also love me some really great architecture. I would totally make a trip to see some of them:

Maybe I'll head out to New England next fall:

The McKim Building of the Boston Public Library

GORGEOUS.

Or, if I didn't have already pre-conceived negative notions of the city based on a summer spent in nearby New Jersey, I could go to Philadelphia:

Parkway Central Library, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

AMAZING.

Or I could honor my ancestors and heed the call to Go West, Young (wo)Man:

Seattle Central Library.

Okay, is anyone surprised that this one is in Seattle?? Okay, I've never been there, but I just have this impression that the city is full of nerds and sci-fi geeks.*

My favorite library ever (that I've been to in-person) didn't make the list, sadly. Probably because it's not a public library. No matter, I'd like to honor it here. 'Cause it's my blog and I can throw out some love anytime I want to.

Hatcher Graduate Library, University of Michigan

Oh, I spent many an hour on those beautiful front steps. And, in case you're wondering, those squares in the sidewalks make pretty awesome outlines for a wicked game of four-square. I know you were wondering.









*This was confirmed by a Seattle-ite who claims that Seattle-ites read more than any other city because of bad weather and big brains. Um, okay. Whatever reason you want to give for it, I'm still right. And we all know that's the important part.




Public Library Photos: via
UofM Grad Library Photo: via