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Education

These stunningly beautiful libraries are practically their own tourist attractions

Come for the books, stay for the views.

best libraries in the world, reading, library
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Couldn't you just spend hours in here?

In movies, libraries are often beautiful, magical treasure troves.

National Treasure starring Nicholas cage took the concept quite literally. The fantastical Harry Potter movie series and comedies like Legally Blonde and The Breakfast Club, all find a way to showcase the highly creative space to be found in a library.

But what's a library in real life? Run-of-the-mill book storage, you say? Is anyone actually visiting these places anymore, anyway?

To be sure, if you haven't been in a bit, you could be missing out.

Libraries are magical archives of humanity. And some of them are just downright beautiful.

Here are nine of the most beautiful libraries in the world:

1. The New York Public Library

This one's a star: It's been featured in "Sex and the City," "Ghostbusters," "The Day After Tomorrow," "13 Going on 30," "Spiderman," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "Breakfast at Tiffany's" ... and for good reason! When you walk into The New York Public Library, you can't help but say to yourself, "This looks like a movie set!" But instead, it's your very own, open-to-the-public-anytime-you're-in-town library.

New York, public, government, community

A photograph of the NYC Public Library Research Room taken in 2006.

Photo by Diliff, edited by Vassil, from Wikipedia Commons

2. Mexico City's Biblioteca Vasconcelos

This is really the library to end all libraries. But it's also the Seabiscuit of libraries. It started its life a little bit injured. After its construction in 2006, lauded by then-president Vicente Fox as one of the most advanced constructions of the modern century, it was found to have a lot of problems.

Fortunately, it was closed down and designers put its marble blocks back in the right place and reopened it 22 months later in 2008. And now this M.C.-Escher-painting-come-to-life is available for any and all to visit.

Image via Audra Hubbell/Instagram, used with permission.


3. The library at El Escorial in Spain

This library is located in the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, aka the King of Spain's Super Catholic Castle. It has some very seriously religious books in it, including Arab and Hebrew manuscripts (in libraries, all religions live peacefully, side by side, in book form) and some light reading, like Beatus de Liébana's centuries-old "Commentary on the Apocalypse." Sit back and relax!

libraries, geography, history, books, art

A picture taken of the Biblioteca de El Escorial in Madrid, Spain.

This image was originally posted to Flickr by MAMM Miguel Angel https://flickr.com/photos/160707757@N08/30371566607

4. The Stockholm Public Library

Located in Sweden, this library opened in 1928 and was that country's first library to have open shelves. Libraries before it required visitors to ask for a librarian's assistance, but with this one, some of the power was handed to the people. It was clearly designed with that function in mind, but — wow — the form is also so beautiful!

Europe, Sweden, Norwegian, library

Creative landings exposed from above in on of Sweden's public libraries.

Photo taken by Arild Vågen, from Wikimedia Commons.

5. The Library of Congress

Located in Washington, D.C., this library houses the books of America, an archive of Twitter, a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, a Stradivarius, the first book known to be printed in America (in 1640!), and millions of newspapers, maps, sheet music, comic books from history — just for starters.

The things you find at the Library of Congress and other libraries — they archive more than just books! — seem like they should be in that weird cavern in the movie "National Treasure." But they're right there in D.C. in a library, not a secret underground stash. No need for Nic Cage!

Plus, this library has a pretty sweet reading room, too.

history, Washington landmarks, library, government

This is the Library Of Congress main reading room.

This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division. Wikimedia Commons.

Oh, and its great Great Hall isn't bad either.

Library of Congress, Great Hall, Thomas Jefferson Building, politics

The first and second floors of the Great Hall, Library of Congress, in the Thomas Jefferson Building.

This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division. Wikimedia Commons

6. The Admont Abbey Library

Located in Austria, this library looks a whole lot like a Disney dream come true. It's the largest monastic library in the world, with a length of 70 meters — about as long as four semi trucks. Its ceilings depict the stages of human knowledge, ending appropriately to its location with divine revelation. It also has excellent natural light.

German, Disney, feelings, art frescos

Painted frescos adorn the ceiling offering Disney vibes in Austria.

© Jorge Royan / https://www.royan.com.ar / CC BY-SA 3.0. Image from Wikimedia Commons

7. Abbey Library of St. Gallen

Located in Switzerland, it is the country's oldest library and has volumes that date back to the eighth century. In addition to its contents, the delightfully fairytalelike-named Peter Thumb designed the library in a Rococo style that earned this library the status of a World Heritage Site.

historical, 1700's, Switzerland, architecture

The oldest library in Switzerland can be found in the Abbey of St. Gallen.

Image via Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen/Wikimedia Commons.

8. Delft University of Technology Library

Located in the Netherlands, this modern piece of library goodness designed by local architecture firm Mecanoo in 1997 has what I can only describe as "Star Trek-ian" flair.

Star Trek, modern architecture, Netherlands, Apple Inc.

Futuristic vibes abound in University library.

Photo by M8scho from Wikimedia Commons.

Look at those blue walls! And the cone skylight (below) looks like a teleporter. It seems like it would feel like being in the world's most friendly iPhone spaceship.

technology, environment, grass ceiling, college

A grass ceiling covers the Delft University of Technology Library.

Photo by João Victor Costa from Wikimedia Commons.

And yes — that's a grass ceiling. Beam me up!

9. Remains of the library of Celsus at Ephesus

Located in Turkey, this library was completed in 135 A.D. That's a long time ago but not even close to as long ago as the first library, which is said to have been built around 2600 B.C. in Mesopotamia.

historical landmark, travel, architecture, education

Turkey holds a library that was completed in 135 A.D.

Image (cropped) by Benh LIEU SONG from Wikimedia Commons.

Libraries are beautiful archives of human wonderfulness, literally and figuratively.

Sometimes the movies know exactly what they're doing when they share story in the houses that hold them.

There's something there (in my heart for libraries) that wasn't there before!

animation, Disney, heroines, movies, children

A GIF created from the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast.

media.giphy.com

This article originally appeared on 07.22.16

From Your Site Articles
travel
Pop Culture

Mom leaves a 'heartbreaking' gift to flight passengers sitting next to her baby

"That's a mom trying so hard."

@callmebelly/TikTok

An excellent reminder to show kindness and patience.

Listening to a baby cry during a flight might be aggravating, but it’s nothing compared to the moans, groans, and eyerolls that the baby's parents must endure from other passengers when it happens. No matter what tips and tricks are used to try to soothe a little one’s temperament while 30,000 miles in the air, crying is almost inevitable. So, while having to ease their own child’s anxiety, moms and dads also must suffer being the pariah of the trip. What a nightmare.

Recently, one mom was apparently trying so hard to avoid upsetting her fellow flight members that she went above and beyond to essentially apologize ahead of time if her baby began to cry on its first flight. It was a gesture that, while thoughtful, had folks really feeling for how stressed that poor mom must be.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, one of the passengers—Elliot—explained that the mom handed out small care packages to those nearby.

“She’s already so busy and took the time to make these bags for everyone,” Elliot said, before panning the camera to reveal a Ziplock bag full of candy, along with a note that made him “want to cry.”

The note read: “It’s my first flight. I made a deal to be on my best behaviour—but I can’t make any guarantees. I might cry if I get scared or if my ears start to hurt. Here are some treats to make your flight enjoyable. Thank you for being patient with us. Have a great flight.”

@callmebelly♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish

Like Elliot, those who watched the video felt some ambivalence at the well intentioned act. Many felt remorse that she would feel the need to appease people in this way.

“This is so sweet but also … kind of breaks my heart that we live in a world in which parents feel the need to do that.”

“Because jerk people have shamed parents into believing that they need to apologize for their kids' absolutely normal behavior. What a gem of a mom.”

“You know that sweet mom worried about this trip so much.”

“That poor mom probably spent nights awake … nervous about that flight, thinking of ways to keep strangers happy.”

"That's a mom trying so hard."

Many rallied behind the mom, arguing that making others feel more comfortable with her child being on board was in no way her responsibility.

“No mom should be apologizing. Adults can control their emotions … babies not …. Hugging this mom from a distance.”

“Dear new parents: no you don’t have to do this. Your babies have the right to exist. We all know babies cry. We know you try your best.”

Luckily, there are just as many stories of fellow passengers being completely compassionate towards parents with small children—from simply choosing to throw on their headphones during a tantrum (instead of throwing one themselves) to going out of their way to comfort a baby (and taking the load of a parent in the process). These little acts of kindness make more of an impact than we probably realize. Perhaps if we incorporated more of this “it takes a village” mindset, flying could be a little bit more pleasant for everyone involved.

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Modern Families

Dad perfectly captures out how an age-old parenting default no longer works, thanks to Alexa

"In a minute?" Yeah, that's not gonna work in 2025.

@amberandjoshofficial/TikTok, Photo credit: Canva

Other parents had no idea this was a "universal experience."

Parenting looks astronomically different than it did when we were kids, and we know one of the major culprits of that is technology. Back in the day, there was no such thing as a “tablet kid,” there wasn’t an app that tracked a kid’s every move, you couldn’t get answers to your burning parenting questions from endless online forms and parent groups. Twas a different time, indeed.

Of course, these modern day conveniences have all kinds of pros and cons attached to them, as one dad, Josh (@amberandjoshofficial) demonstrated in a now-viral video posted to his TikTok. In the video, we see him try—and fail—to use the age-old parenting saying that’s always bought them juuuuust a little more time from demanding kiddos, otherwise known as “just a minute.”

That is, until now. Turns out, in the age of Alexa, “just a minute” doesn’t cut it. Because kids can and will be using that robot against you, just like his own daughter did. Poor Josh was just trying to finish washing the dishes before getting the glass of milk she requested. But unfortunately for him, as soon as he replied with “just a minute,” she immediately asked Alexa to “set the timer.” Ruthless.

@amberandjoshofficial Accountability has never been higher! 😬 #marriagehumor #parentinghumor #parentinghacks #familythings #dadtok #parentingmemes #kidsbelike #marriagememes @Amber Lynn Smith @Joshyyred ♬ original sound - Amber and Josh

“Accountability has never been higher," Josh wrote in his caption. And other parents who watched the video couldn’t help but agree.

“I had no idea this was a universal experience 😂”

“No this is literally verbatim my life 😂😂😂”

"Oh so it’s not just our house. It’s relieving and also scary to know we’re not alone 😂”

“Haha this is so accurate. I’ve had the conversation with my kids that it’s a figure of speech – they still do it 😂”

“NOT MY ALEXA RESPONDING WHILE I WATCHED THIS VIDEO”

A few fellow parents chimed in with some lighthearted “tips,” such as explaining that “one minute is more of a vibe than a unit of time,” or swapping it for “one more moment” instead.

Another suggested that he “keep that same energy when they want more time on their game.”

And hey, maybe higher accountability isn’t totally a bad thing. It didn’t exactly instill trust when our parents stretched “just a minute” into eternity, especially when it turned into not actually doing what they said they would.

That's apparently not the only way Alexa has potentially helped parents, either. A study conducted by Kantar for Amazon found that 95% of parents agreed that having Alexa at home has helped reduce screen time, while another 90% felt Alexa helped their kids stay mentally active, learn new things, and become more independent. As with all technology, it can be easy to develop too much of a reliance on this gadget, but (when used responsibly) there are some definitive perks, it seems.

So there you have it, folks. Let’s just chalk it up to being more thing that’s a relic of a bygone era. But hey, change is the only constant, right?

By the way, Josh and his wife Amber have even more wholesome and fun family content where that came from on their TikTok. Check it out here.

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humor
Joy

Adorable Golden Retriever absolutely loses it when he runs into his vet at a bar

No one has ever been this excited to see their doctor.

@cosmo_andtheoddparents/TikTok

He wuvs his vet.

Not every dog might jump with joy after seeing their vet out in public. But for Cosmo the Golden Retriever, it was practically Christmas all over again when he spotted his own vet, Dr. Jones, at a brewery.

In an adorable clip posted to TikTok, we see Cosmo in pure, unadulterated bliss as he snuggles with an equally happy Dr. Jones, who, considering he’s still in his scrubs, might have just gotten out of work to grab a quick pint.

Watch:

@cosmo_andtheoddparents When you run into your vet in public #goldenretrieversoftiktok #vetlife #animallovers #petparents #goldenretriever #goldenretrievers #doglife #dogmom #dailyfluff #charlestondogs #doglover #charlestondog #brewerydog ♬ original sound - Cosmo

Ugh, the cuteness is too much to handle! People in the comments could barely contain their secondhand joy.

“He looked over like, “Mom, do you see who this is?” one person wrote, while another said, “What in the Hallmark movie? Adorable!!”

One person even joked, “Did we all check the vet’s hand for a wedding ring? (Said as a married woman. Looking out for you all, or something.)”

According to Hannah Dweikat, Cosmo’s owner, the two actually share quite a history. She tells Upworthy that when Cosmo was but a wee pup, he “gave a scare” after eating a Sago Palm seed, which are highly toxic to dogs, from a plant in their backyard, which of course resulted in him being rushed to the animal hospital and staying there over the weekend.

While that’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and certainly a scary situation for the poor fur baby, Dweikat says that “the calm and patient demeanor” of Dr. Jones and his staff put Cosmo at ease. And because of this, “Cosmo has always loved going to see his friends—especially because they give him lots of treats and snuggles.”

Cosmo and Dr. Jones’ buddyship has also blossomed thanks to proximity, as Dweikat only lives down the street from the clinic. “Which means we get to see Dr. Jones and his staff out in public at times and Cosmo takes every chance he can get to say hi,” she explains. This time, however, she was able to capture it all on video. Yay for us!

What makes a good vet?

While not every vet, however gifted, will be able to elicit this type of reaction from their patients, having a calming presence like Dr. Jones is certainly a good sign for pet owners to be on the lookout for when shopping around for their own vet. But that’s not the only quality a good vet needs. According to Saint Matthews University, a vet also needs to have high stamina (both physically and mentally), as well as an ability to tolerate unpleasant situations (you can’t faint at the sight of blood or vomit), a high level of emotional intelligence (maybe all doctors should possess this skill, but especially those who work with animals), adaptability, a sense of enthusiasm, and finally, excellent communication skills.

Dr. Jones seems to have these attributes in spades, and his patients clearly love him for it. None so much as Cosmo, obviously.

By the way, if you’re in need of even more content featuring this precious pup, you can follow Cosmo on both TikTok and Instagram.

From Your Site Articles
dogs
Identity

‘Genital verification’? Funny troll mocks anti-trans bathroom laws with Dallas airport signs.

People were shocked in the men's room.

via Imgur and Amanda Steggell/Flickr

A curious sign in the Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport.

A brilliant LGBTQ rights advocate in Texas found a clever way to skewer the state’s anti-trans politicians by creating a fake sign stating that the state government was verifying people’s genitals through AI. The signs were posted in bathrooms at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The prank was a great way to show travelers that when trans rights are under fire, everyone's rights are, too.

The signs look precisely like a government warning and infer that the toilet's flushing sensor holds some device to photograph bathroom user’s genitals. Taking pictures of someone’s genitals is a massive violation of people’s privacy, but if the state wants to monitor if trans people are using the bathroom, how else could it tell?

Great troll, phone number is for the Lt. Governor’s office


The prank warning sign has a phone number for people to call to have their photos removed from the database, and it goes to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's office. Back in 2016 and 2017, Patrick pushed for a law that would limit transgender people's ability to use the bathroom that matches their identity.

Here's what the prank sign reads:

Electronic Genital Verification (EGV)

Your genitalia may be photographed electronically during your use of this facility as part of the Electronic Genital Verification (EGV) pilot program at the direction of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. In the future, EGV will help keep Texans safe while protecting your privacy by screening for potentially improper restroom access using machine vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in lieu of traditional genital inspections.

At this time, images collected will be used solely for model training purposes and will not be used for law enforcement or shared with entities except as pursuant to a subpoena, court order or as otherwise compelled by a legal process.
Your participation in this program is voluntary.

You have the right to request removal of your data by calling the EGV program office at (512) 463-0001 during normal operating hours (Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM).

Michael Dear, a security camera expert, posted about encountering one of the signs at the airport.


The prank even caught the attention of the DFW airport. “This is not a DFW-produced or authorized sign, and we have no information about its origins,” DFW media relations manager Cynthia Vega told Snopes. “However, we are investigating to ensure that none is posted, and we will remove any unauthorized signs if found.”

The idea of the government inspecting its citizen's genitals seems outlandish and totalitarian. However, a bill that made it through the Ohio State House of Representatives in June 2022 calls for just that. The bill would have required high school athletes to prove their gender by submitting to intrusive inspections of their genitalia and other invasive tests. Although the bill was never signed into law, it begs the question: What poses a more significant threat to high schoolers, transgender female athletes (less than 100 people nationwide), or statewide government genital inspections?

Sometimes, the best way to expose hysteria is not to shout back even louder but to encourage everyone to laugh at it. Kudos to the creator of the genital verification prank for using humor to make an essential point about privacy.

From Your Site Articles
lgbtq rights
Music

Impassioned plea to 'bring back key changes' has us swimming in 80s and 90s music nostalgia

You can't help but raise your finger to the sky in these songs.

Image credits: Public domain (left) Zoran Veselinovic (right)

There's nothing like a power key change to take a song to the next level.

Music affects us emotionally and psychologically in so many ways. A minor key can make us sad and wistful, a dissonant chord can trigger fear, and a joyful, jaunty tune can pull us out of a funk. But a musical device that used to be a staple in pop music has largely fallen by the wayside, much to the dismay of everyone who's ever raised a finger to the sky when Whitney Houston belted out, "Don't…make…me…CLOOOOSE one more doooor."

That's right. The power key change. Bon Jovi did it in "Livin' on a Prayer," Michael Jackson in "Man in the Mirror," and Celine Dion in "My Heart Will Go On." Taking a verse or a chorus up a notch by modulating the key was a way for pop stars to give their songs extra oomph for decades. We loved it because it made us feel things. And some of us are realizing just how much we miss the chills and thrills those modulations gave us.

Self-proclaimed "geriatric millennial" Chrissy Allen posted an impassioned plea to "bring back key changes" with examples from popular songs of the 80s and 90s, and it's resonating with those who remember.

Her movements are so familiar and people in the comments felt it in their bones.

"Ah yes! The classic last chorus modulation (or if you're Michael Jackson, like 8x). Expected and unexpected all at once."

"Key changes make you feel like life is worth it, the future is bright and nothing is going to stop your fearless heart! Such a dopamine boost 🔥 Other songs can't compete with that."

"This is pure dopamine. Like, just the good stuff, all lean no fat, pharmaceutical grade brain chemicals. 🤌🏽"

"If there is no key change, when do they stand up from their stool?"

"And the beat dropping WITH the key change is the *chef’s kiss*"

"Total goosebumps the whole time."

For real, though. Watch Whitney pull this key change out of her hat and see if it doesn't give you goosebumps.

Whitney Houston's key change in "I Have Nothing" is legendary.youtu.be

It's not that nobody does the key change anymore, but it's definitely fallen out of favor. As Chris Dalla Riva writes in Tedium, "The act of shifting a song’s key up either a half step or a whole step (i.e. one or two notes on the keyboard) near the end of the song, was the most popular key change for decades. In fact, 52 percent of key changes found in number one hits between 1958 and 1990 employ this change. You can hear it on “My Girl,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer,” among many others."

But something happened in the 90s that shifted musicians away from key changes. The rise of Hip-Hop music, which Riva explains "focuses more on rhythms and lyricism than on melody and harmony," was one change. Another was the way music is written, recorded, and produced. Computer programs have fundamentally changed the way music is made, and those changes don't lend themselves to changing a key mid-song.

Riva gives an example:

"Imagine that I’m Sting and I sit down to write a song in the early ’80s for my group The Police. While composing, it’s likely that I’ll work linearly. What this means is I’ll write section-by-section. First, I’ll write a verse, then a chorus, then another verse, and so on. One way to create intrigue as I get to a new section is to change something. Maybe the lyrics. Maybe the melody. Or maybe the key.

"Every Breath You Take" changes key at the bridge.youtu.be

On “Every Breath You Take,” Sting does the third. Most of the song is built around a laid back groove in Ab major, but then on the bridge, the energy kicks up as the song shifts to the key of B major. Because songwriters in the pre-digital age were writing linearly, shifting the key in a new section was a natural compositional technique.

"But in the computer age, this linear style doesn’t make as much sense." Riva explains that "digital recording software generally encourages a vertical rather than linear songwriting approach."

Some people say the key change is for singers who can actually sing as they lament the popularity of autotune technology. But there are some genuinely incredible singers in this day and age. We cannot live in the era of Kelly Clarkson and Pink and Ariana Grande and complain about a loss of singing ability. Maybe those pop divas will join the movement to bring key changes back in full force. We need those dopamine hits now more than ever.

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