*This is a project to map beautiful spaces that house human knowledge and to aspire curious travel. *
Some argue that stacked bookshelves and piles of books, even if not read, serve as an inspiration and a humbling reminder of vast knowledge accumulated by humans. As we became digital, not the biggest libraries in the world can compete with an online database of knowledge. But I do not believe that a database can raises anxiety and desire to read more. Hence physical presence of books is crucial.
There are only two types of places to witness the overbearing presence of books: bookstores and libraries. And while it’s admirable to support your favorite neighborhood bookstore around the corner, I hold a point of view that visiting bookstores while traveling to other cities and countries can be revelatory. Foreign bookstores will expose new authors and the people who read them. That’s why I have created this project “Literary Tourism” in order to create an easy reference for a traveling bibliophile to look up recommendations for spaces with books while on the road.
I also needed to add libraries. The love of books does not equal ownership or hoarding. With libraries free and open to public, one can read, marvel and browse without spending a dime. In many cities around the world, libraries are the most architecturally impressive structures. Whether a modern architectural masterpiece or a historical superlative of Baroque design, the architects at all times try to make libraries visually striking spaces that celebrate human achievement.
I have contemplated to crowdsource the editing of “literary tourism” - but have decided against it: to prevent bragging and advertising as well as to maintain stylistic consistency. I have long admired travel guides curated by people with a peculiar tastes and tried to make “Literary Tourism” the same way. If you have a suggestion, correction or an edit, please email and I will try to take it into account - or you can download my list and edit as you please. Otherwise this list is curated based on my personal experience and notes from other people who’s taste I admire. “Literary Tourism” is subjective, is biased, is opinionated. It is NOT a list of every store in the U.S. It is a personal account of dream places that house books.
With recent accessibility of travel, more and more people travel to see museums and landmarks. So I don’t consider it farfetched or implausible to travel just to visit a library or a bookstore. While today a book you want to read is just two clicks awa 61FB y, hours of commute and many more hours of browsing shelves can lead to unexpected discoveries and unforeseen adventures.
Sincerely, Anna
** currently I have assembled my map only for US, but I am hoping to add more countries and cities in the future
- Map is designed with Mapbox GL: https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/api/
- App is made with Express.JS: https://expressjs.com/
- Data is assembled by hand - feel free to use it