When was the last time you went to your local library?

Almost every town has a public library, some bigger and better than others but all of them are usually worth checking out. I love a great library, there’s something so peaceful and quiet about them. People sitting and reading or perusing the shelves for a book, while others might be using the computers for research for a paper or whatever.

These days libraries are not as busy as back before the internet and Kindles and E-books, but there is something about reading an old fashioned book with paper pages. The sense of accomplishment I get from finishing a book cover to cover is like no other.

I try to read at least a half dozen books a year, which is about  half what I used to read before the internet.

People are not checking out as many books these days but that doesn’t mean you should avoid the library, we need them and they need us. Where else can you go to find that kind of atmosphere? Rich leather bound books, rows and rows of well organized tomes, and hundreds of videos and books on tape to rent, comfy furniture and of course the politeness of people that are whispering and never loud (or else the kindly librarian will shhhh you!)

Expert were asked to rank the Top Five Libraries in the US and all Bay State citizens should be very proud of the results!

 

  • 5. The Richard J. Riordan Central Library in Los Angeles, CA

    LA Public Library

    The Los Angeles Public Library provides free and easy access to information, ideas, books and technology that enrich, educate and empower every individual in our city's diverse communities.

  • 4. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven, CT

    Beinecke Library at Yale

    The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is one of the world's largest libraries devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts and is Yale University Library's principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. The Beinecke Library's robust collections are used to create new scholarship by researchers from around the world.

  • 3. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Library of Congress

    Timeless treasures and contemporary presentations from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. As the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, we are the steward of millions of recordings dating from the earliest Edison films to the present. In addition, we sponsor events, lectures and concerts that are free and open to the public.

     

  • 2. Stephan A. Schwarzman Building in New York City, N.Y.

    The New York Public Library

    The New York Public Library's mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.

  • 1. Boston Central Public Library

    Boston Public Library

    A leading American historian has called the Public Library of the City of Boston "one of the five great libraries of the world." Well over 3.5 million people visit the Boston Public Library every year to use its collection of 8.9 million books.