The Tianjin Binhai Library in China opened its doors one year ago after taking architects MVRDV only three years to design and construct it. The huge 36,000- square-foot library is structured to look like a three-dimensional eye, with a large luminous sphere in the centre, surrounded by sweeping floor to ceiling bookshelves that contain a…
Did you know there is no statutory requirement for schools in England to have a school library? The decision ultimately falls to the head teacher. Reassuringly, research does suggest that most schools have some library facilities in place for their pupils. However, the quality of those facilities is questionable and very likely to differ between…
Claire Cock-Starkey is a writer, editor and researcher specialising in historical miscellanies and natural history. She has written many non-fiction books including, The Book Lovers’ Miscellany (2017) and Bodleianalia (2016). Her latest edition, A Library Miscellany (2018) is packed with unusual facts and statistics, making it the perfect volume for library enthusiasts, bibliophiles and readers everywhere. What…
