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Temples of Books

MAGNIFICENT LIBRARIES AROUND THE WORLD

Editors: gestalten & Marianne Julia Strauss
Features: Full color, hardcover, linen quarter-binding, stitch bound, 304 pages
Format: 24 × 30 cm | 9 ½ × 11 ¾ inches 
Price: € 49.90 (D) £ 45 $ 69 (US)
ISBN: 978-3-96704-024-1

@gestalten @janna.strauss #gestaltenbooks

EU + UK PUBLICATION DATE: January 27, 2022 
INT PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK
Libraries are so much more than collections of books. They are archives of knowledge, spaces of study, sources of inspiration and connection. Among the world’s most universal and democratic places, they are also outstanding icons of architecture that represent the societies that built them. Temples of Books celebrates the world’s oldest and grandest shrines to the written word, as well as new and tiny ones: from baroque palaces to micro-libraries made of recycled plastics, and the unlikely ones in between. Looking at the diverse architecture of global libraries throughout the ages, Temples of Books goes further and explores the very idea of libraries themselves. Today, the almost 2,000-year-old St. Catherine’s Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, is digitizing its historical manuscripts in order to make these rare artifacts accessible to anyone who might be interested. Mexico’s Biblioteca Vasconcelos draws in visitors with appealing add-on features revolving around art, culture, and its botanic garden. The Uncensored Library exists exclusively online and makes the censored works of brave journalists from all over the world freely accessible.

As an institution that can curate knowledge, scrutinize the status quo, and encourage education, the library is more important today than ever. This responsibility is only growing as the freedom to publish on all manner of channels increases. Its job is to infuse our collective memory with the truth. It is constantly evolving and strengthening its relationship with society, with events that foster a sense of community, workshops, book nights, exhibitions, free computer use, and new digital options. Reaching back millennia, its roots provide the perfect grounding for healthy cultural growth all over the globe. Jorge Luis Borges had it exactly right: the library is a paradise, and its constant reflowering is the proof. Temples of Books is a declaration of love for the book itself, a book for book lovers and for those who believe in the power of ideals. 

ABOUT THE CO-EDITOR AND WRITER
Marianne Julia Strauss
is a German travel writer who turned her curiosity into a job. For ten years, she has roamed the world writing about the good things in life, covering love and motorcycles, books, bars and everything in between. Her first book, Do You Read Me?, published by gestalten, surveyed the most inspiring and independent bookshops around the world.

 

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