Amsterdam’s central library
Libraries don’t have to be boring. In April this year, before we left for our trip to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland, a friend encouraged us to visit the new central public library in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
“It overlooks the water,” she said, “and it is modern and beautiful with ten floors and hundreds of computer stations. Even has a café on the top where you can look out over the city.” I could hardly wait. Libraries are my second home. My mom worked in one.
Surprise in the lobby
As soon as we stepped inside the Bibliotheek away from busy city traffic, zooming bicycles, and the rumble of trollies on tracks, what met us—along with floors of gorgeously arranged books—was lovely, uplifting piano music! Someone was playing the piano in the public library? You could have knocked me over with a bookmark.
Against the lobby wall, a young man was hunched over an upright piano playing his heart out. I sat on the steps to listen, closed my eyes, and relaxed. After he finished, I thanked him. He said he was visiting from London and whenever he comes to Amsterdam he plays here at the library for a few minutes. We exchanged “calling cards;” now I can share that beautiful music with you!
Go to: soundcloud.com/glennbrownmusic
Oh yay, books!
This newish library, called Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA), opened in 2007, five years after our last visit to this marvelous man-made city. OBA houses more than 1M books, newspapers in many languages, digitized materials galore.
BTW—the saying goes: God made the world; man made Amsterdam. In the 12th century, settlers in a fishing village reclaimed land from the sea by damming up the Amstel River. They literally built their towns on land they made. And they constructed libraries.
This free public library offers about 500 computer terminals for patrons’ use. Fresh air, usually absent in buildings, has a delivery system incorporated into the floors. The design firm, ARUP, made enjoyable lighting a main feature. The place was one of the airiest libraries I’ve been in, providing thought-through spaces to think, ramble, relax, study, and move.
Shock of shocks: my search in the religion stacks turned up a book about cults in America by J. Gordon Melton (the orange one pictured). The Dutch are some of the most tolerant people on earth, but I imagine some are concerned about destructive cults there, too. Melton includes The Way International in his book. I’ve seen Melton’s work on shelves in US libraries, also.
Escalators facilitate everyone’s library experience, even if they’ve only sought a fun ride.
Display cases hold interesting artifacts, like these old hand-painted Dutch tiles from the late 18th century.
After our wanderings, Hoyt and I ate a lovely, healthful lunch in the top floor self-serve restaurant. It’s loaded with fresh fruit and produce. You can eat a meal or simply grab a snack, and feast on the sky-high view of Amsterdam.
I hope these photos give you an idea of this literary treat. It was deeee-licious.
Long live libraries everywhere!
More travel posts to come—not necessarily in chronological order.
See you next time!
“The only end of writing is to enable readers to enjoy life or better to endure it.” ~ Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) British Poet, Essayist, Editor, Critic, and Biographer
Ralph Dubofsky
oved the essay and the pics. Thanks!
KARLA
Nice article on your travels. It is interesting how the library reinvented itself by offering so much to diverse patrons; the view, food, ambiance…. Its everything you would have in your own living room, front porch or dining area, minus the 1m books of course. Your article awakes my desire to travel to Europe. Look forward to more delightful writings.
Bob
Charlene, you make this library sound like an ideal place to spend a leisurely afternoon. Look forward to visiting it on our next trip to Amsterdam.
Linda M. Goddard
Lovely and insightful on libraries, Charlene! I do want to subscribe to your page.
Suzanne Keefe
What a treat! Your descriptions make a person feel as though they are right there.
(Part of your writing talent.) The pictures are wonderful. It is good to be reminded of how modern other countries are, as well. I don’t believe in co-incidences, so it is no suprise that “The Way” is described in the book about cults. Looking forward to your book!
Charlene L. Edge
Thank you all for taking the time to comment here. That library was exceptional, but I realize most towns cannot have such a huge and expensive one. What matters most, as we all know, is that books are available to patrons for free and after traveling to so many countries, including China a few years ago that isn’t exactly pro reading-anything-you-want , I am so grateful for these good places. Support your local library!
Next post will be about Trinity’s library in Ireland–Hoyt’s idea to stay on the library theme. Now THAT one blew my socks off!
Sunni
We were in Amsterdam for a couple days in early May, wish I’d known about this special place!
Jannie Roemeling
I love Amsterdam’s library and I also love the smallest street libraries that we have in The netherlands now. Small cases in front of a house where the library drops books and where people can take out one they like. They are allowed to keep it if they like and they can also return it and take an other one The public library maintains the book cases and takes care of a varied collection of about 20 to 30 books in these street book cases. I like to bring books in these small book cases as well, books I do not longer need and like to share. It works wonderfully well. In Gouda we have approx. ten of these small street libraries now and the phenomenon spreads over the country. Probably other countries have similar street book cases where public libraries share books and promote reading?