Libraries to see on BOE 2016 tour?

Remind where the boe16 stops and I'll trawl my memory banks

Same question as Nigel. What cities will you be visiting? There are 14 and 21 day tours.

As an interested librarian, I've been to several great libraries both large and small.

If London is on your list before or after the tour you can't miss the National Library.
I'd like to tell you about other favorites but let us know what cities are on your tour please.

We'll be on the 21 day tour. Amsterdam, Bacharach, Rothenburg, Reutte, Venice, Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre, Lauterbaunnen Valley, Beaune, and Paris. Forgive any misspellings! And thank you!

Hmmm I may not be of much help. My experiences in Europe have been more in monastic, private, university and some national libraries. I love a good look at the pre Dewey classification systems.

The only libraries I have been to in your cities are the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence where most people go to admire Michaelangelo's staircase and the Vatican library where you will see puti in every pose of reading on the ceiling if you slow down and look on your way to the Sistine Chapel. I walked by the French National Library last summer on a Sunday but it was closed.

There is a big and fairly new looking library in Amsterdam that is near the main train station. Also It is a great place for lunch with a great view.

Shame you won't be stopping in Zug. I liked the little library there...

What a fun thing to do! I don't have a suggestion except that the first night at your meet-up you will go around and introduce yourselves to your guide and your group. The guide will usually ask you to mention if there is something particular you are looking forward to. I would mention your library interest that first night so they can be thinking about it and can point out any you might go past. On the days when you have a local guide for a city walking tour (Bacharach and Venice come to mind right away) I would also catch them at the end and ask if they can point you to an interesting library. In my experience they love the kind of off-beat questions!

I see that parts of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris are open to the public (others are not - it's the French equivalent of our Library of Congress). The buildings themselves are designed to resemble open books standing up.

For a future trip, there are ornate old libraries in Prague and Coimbra (Portugal).

I second the idea to visit the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence.
IMHO one of the best libraries to see in Europe is the one in St. Gallen Abbey, Switzerland, but it looks like you are not getting anywhere near.

Harold suggested the new Bibliotheque Nationale, but I'm suggesting the old Bibliotheque Nationale, also called Richelieu Library, at 5 rue Vivienne in the 2nd.

Hi,

The British Library in London and in Berlin the Humboldt Univ. (die Humboldt Universität zu Berlin)