Top Ten Tuesday – Libraries I’ve Visited

Top Ten Tuesday is a series hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is Bookstores/Libraries I’ve Always Wanted to Visit, but because I make it a point to seek out libraries in every place I visit, I thought instead I’d showcase a few of the different libraries I’ve visited around the world!

Devenport Library – Auckland, New Zealand.

The Devenport Library is a beautiful new space located in the community of Devenport, which can be accessed from the Auckland CBD by a quick and scenic ferry ride. The community is definitely worth visiting if you’re in the Auckland area, as the village is full of neat cafes and restaurants, boutiques shops and galleries.

Nikko Library, Nikko, Japan

Words cannot describe how much I love the stunning mountain village of Nikko. The town lies at the edge of Nikko National Park, which contains some of the most famous and historically significant temples in Japan. The area is famous for its autumn colours, and you can easily access it as a daytrip from Tokyo.

Qualicum Beach Library, British Columbia, Canada

Not all of my library visits take place in far away lands! This library is located in the very scenic community of Qualicum Beach, on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. You can access Vancouver Island via ferry from the mainland, and you’ll quickly find that life on the island is very different from life in the big city – the air is cleaner, the pace of life is slower, and the setting is wilder!

Multnomah County Central Library, Portland, Oregon

How do I love this oh so funky city? Let me count the ways! I love its craft brewing scene, its markets, its food trucks, its shopping (tax free!), its cool restaurants, its funky neighborhoods, and so much more. It’s a bit of a drive from Raincity down to Portland, so I don’t get to visit all that often, but I’m always excited when I get the chance!

Hakodate City Library, Hakodate, Japan

If you take the shinkansen to Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, you’ll arrive in the port city of Hakodate. The city is famous for its seafood, especially bright red fish roe that’s served on beds of rice (which you can grab at their fascinating fish market). Be sure to visit beautiful Onuma park, and I highly recommend taking the cable car up Mount Hakodate – the view is spectacular!

La Conner Regional Library, La Conner, Washington, USA.

La Conner is a lovely town located in Washington’s state’s largely agricultural Skagit Valley. The town bills itself as a “tiny town with big charm”, and La Conner really is charming, with nice restaurants and boutiques, set in attractive farmland. It’s a nice choice for a short getaway from Raincity!

Tamagawa Children’s Library, Kanazawa, Japan

As a children’s librarian and picture book author, you can imagine how thrilled I was to stumble on this treasure while visiting Kanazawa on our third (!) trip to Japan! Have I mentioned how much I love Japan….? Anyway, the Tamagawa Children’s Library is a fantastic resource for research in the fields of children’s literature and literacy. Kanazawa is also a fantastic city to visit, and is now easily accessed using your handy JR pass.

Te Aroha Library, Te Aroha, New Zealand

This one’s a bit of a personal one for me, as Te Aroha is my late father’s hometown, and my grandmother lived in the small village for over half a century, putting down strong roots in the community. I’ve actually written a post all about this charming rural town, if you’re interested in learning more. The library itself is quite interesting, as it’s set up with different rooms housing different subject areas. Definitely a helpful layout if your storytimes tend to be quite noisy, like mine!

Juneau Public Library, Juneau, Alaska

Now this is a blast from the past! This photo was taken all the way back in 2012, when the Raincity Software Engineer and I went on an Alaskan cruise in between my quitting my office job and starting library school – how the time has just flown!! I decided on that cruise that since I was going to (hopefully) become a librarian, I should start visiting different libraries to get a feel for how things are done. And so began my mission to visit libraries all around the world, wherever I travel! Juneau is a fantastic city with great hiking – if you visit on a cruise, be sure to take some time to ditch the tourist traps and experience the incredible scenery this part of the world has to offer.

Wellington City Libraries Central Branch, Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington is a wonderful city to visit, and very similar to Raincity in terms of climate and general atmosphere – it’s a really cool place! If you visit, I highly recommend taking a tour of the Weta workshop, especially if you’re a fan of the Lord of the Rings, and Te Papa, the national museum, is both breathtaking, and free to visit!

 

This is just a handful of the libraries I’ve been able to visit on my trips since 2012, and they’re all fantastic in their own ways, doing important work to support their diverse communities. Three cheers to all the hardworking library staff helping make the world a better place, one book at a time!