In honor of National Library Week, CNN iReport asked photographers, architecture aficionados and book lovers to share photos of their most favorite libraries such as this photograph of the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by Glenn Nagel. The library was founded in 1867 and actually predates the university. Today, the University Library holds more than 13 million volumes and is known for allowing all members of the community to view its collection onsite.
Courtesy Glenn Nagel
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Salt Lake City's Main Library was designed to reflect the idea that a library should be more than a "repository of books and computers." Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the library contains a six-story curving and walkable wall, a 300-seat auditorium and a roof-top garden that offers a 360-degree view Salt Lake Valley. Oh, it also has 500,000 books and materials it houses.
The State Law Library of the Kentucky Court of Justice has provided judges with legal research and reference materials for more than a century. Rare books, Kentucky Statutes from 1801 and biographies of famous Kentuckians are among some of the materials found in the library's collection.
Courtesy Glenn Nagel
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William Rainey Harper Memorial Library at the University of Chicago was turned into a 24-hour study space and cafe back in December 2009, which increased its popularity as a spot to cram for exams.
Courtesy Glenn Nagel
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The main public library in San Antonio was designed to tap into the city's Hispanic heritage, according to Robey Architecture Inc.'s website. "I found touring and photographing the building to be well worth the trip," Glenn Nagel said.
Jason Mrachina said the most interesting features of the Iowa State Law Library were the "winding staircases on the north and south ends of the library." Decorated with chandeliers and now-electrified sconces, the library boasts a collection of bound leather case law books. "This place is both immaculate and awe-inspiring," Mrachina said.
Jason Mrachina/CNN iReport
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Julee Khoo says visiting the Library of Congress is a must if you're planning a trip to Washington. "Call me biased, but I think this is one of the most impressive libraries in the world." It's actually the largest library in the world, holding more that 158 million items that include over 36 million cataloged books and print materials in 470 languages.
Courtesy Julee Khoo
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Jill Thornton's favorite place to tour in London is the British Library. "I've been there twice, and both times have been completely blown away by the texts, maps, artifacts and other pieces of the past that pull you right into the midst of history," she said. The library receives a copy of every publication produced in the United Kingdom and has a collection of more than 150 million items in most known languages.
Courtesy Jill Thornton
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The Beitou Branch of the Taipei Public Library in Taiwan looks like a tree house and is known for being green. The building's sloping turf roof drains rainwater into recycling troughs and captures solar energy. These are just some of the building's ecofriendly features.
Courtesy Teresa Shih
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The library of the National Palace in Mafra, Portugal, is embellished with marble and contains 35,000 volumes, which include a trilingual Bible from 1514 and the earliest edition of Homer in Greek.
Courtesy William L. Giles
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Professional photographer Mel Ashar discovered the Mill Valley Public Library in California, and "was so inspired by the natural beauty and surroundings of this place." He says the "library has modern, lodge-like interiors with high ceilings, polished hardwood floors and classy wooden furniture."
Joel Camaya, a Catholic priest living in Rome, describes the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building as "a quiet spot in busy Manhattan."
Courtesy Joel Camaya
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Living in Rome, Camaya goes to the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome every day to study. He recommends its library to anyone interested in learning about the history or scientific study of the Bible.
Courtesy Joel Camaya
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The Central Library, part of the San Diego public library system, took 30 years to complete. Its most prominent feature, a steel dome 143 feet in diameter, is larger than the U.S. Capital and Pantheon in Rome.
Courtesy Chris Morrow
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Pham Thi Le Thuy studied at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands for a year and described the library as looking "ancient outside but modern inside."
Courtesy Pham Thi Le Thuy
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What Steffen Ramsaier loves about Stuttgart's Municipal Library in Germany is its clean architecture. The nine-story library was completed in 2011 and designed to be "a new intellectual and cultural centre."
Courtesy Steffen Ramsaier
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Weffy Müller says that the architecture of the Shanghai Library isn't as impressive as some of the libraries she's visited, but "the amount of the collection is quite amazing." According to Shanghai Expat, the library has books that cannot be found anywhere else in China.
Click on the double arrows below to see more beautiful photos of libraries.
Courtesy Weffy Müller
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The Bodleian Library is Oxford University's main research library, and one of the six Legal Deposit libraries. Legal Deposit, part of English law since 1662, ensures that everything published in the nation is collected and retained in libraries as part of the national public archive.
Courtesy John Theodore Simm
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The theological hall library at Strahov Monastery in Prague "is visually stunning and in great condition," Anusha Mookherjee said. She visited the monastery while on a family trip to the Czech Republic with her family. "It is a historical site and has a lot of well-known books preserved," she said. "You cannot touch any of the books."
Courtesy Anusha Mookherjee
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The Vancouver Public Library is the third-largest public library system in Canada with more than 6.9 million visitors. Known for more than just its books and amenities such as retail and day care resources, the library has also been featured on television shows such as "Battlestar Galactica," "Caprica" and "Fringe."
Courtesy Vancouver Public Library
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Chetham's Library in Manchester, England, is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. Entrance to the library is donation-based, and its collection has been designated one of national and international importance.
Courtesy Shomir Wilson
Step inside 27 fascinating libraries —
The Trinity College Library in Dublin, also known as the "Old Library," is famous for housing the 9th-Century gospel manuscript the Book of Kells. At the heart of the Old Library is the Long Room, which is filled with 200,000 of the library's oldest books.
Have a...swim? The Carnegie of Homestead not only has a library fully accessible to the community, but also an athletic club and pool that people can purchase day passes or monthly memberships to use.