The Books of the Ages

In this book blog (The Books of the Ages), I normally review books.

In this post, I am plugging the website “1,000 Libraries.”

Books live in libraries, bookstores, book cafes, and on shelves in our homes. When I was looking for my current that residence I moved into last year, I told the realtor that “I need a place with enough wall space for my books.” Books are important.

Books feed our souls. Because books feed our souls, the libraries, book shops, and book cafes where books live should also “feed our souls.” Therefore, I was thrilled a couple of months ago when I discovered “1,000 Libraries.” “1,000 Libraries” encourages public awareness about and appreciation of – through its’ website, a book it publishes, and an annual “most beautiful library” contest – the world’s great libraries.

I was happy to discover that the 2025 “most beautiful library” selected by “1,000 Libraries” is a library I’m shown standing in on the About the Proprietor page of this website (I had long hair then) – the old library at Trinity College Dublin. Three of my ancestors did their medical degrees at Trinity College Dublin in the 1800’s, so I felt tingles up and down my spine when I walked the halls of Trinity’s old library when I visited Ireland in 2018….. When I walked the halls of Trinity’s library, I wondered how many times my ancestors visited this same library. I wondered if any of the books they read are still in the library (probably!)….. Also profiled on the “1,000 Libraries” site is an architecturally engaging library I visited in New York City in 2010 during a business trip (I was in a particularly sappy mood at the time and the library provided me with much-needed solace).

The fact that you found your way to this “The Books of the Ages” book reviews site probably means that you are a book lover (a lovely kind of person!). If you are indeed a book lover, I encourage you to visit the “1,000 Libraries” website. Lovely places that house books are – indeed – nourishment for book lovers’ souls. FYI, the “1,000 Libraries” website has a book profiling libraries – you might just decide to buy a copy! Further, the “1,000 Libraries” website just might encourage you to plan a trip to a far away land to visit one of the wonderful libraries they profile – a lovely idea!

Bibliophile and would-be-antiquarian Kim Burkhardt reviews books at The Books of the Ages and at The Hermitage Within. If you are a new visitor, it would be great to have you follow this blog (thank you!). If you know someone who would like this blog, please share it with them (thank you!).