The Library Book

Thomas R. Schiff’s The Library Book captures the shifting architectural styles and missions of the library in sweeping 360-degree panoramas—from the very earliest American libraries to the modernist masterpieces of Louis I. Kahn and others. In his introductory essay, acclaimed author and library lover Alberto Manguel considers the story of the library in America, its evolving architecture and cultural role, and how the American model reflects the archetypal idea of the universal library. Including brief descriptions of each unique library, this book brings bibliophiles into more than one hundred libraries across the nation.