The Rejkavík City Library
Believe it or not, it is only about 5 o'clock PM here in Reykjavik. During December, there are only around four hours of daylight each day. The city library is open until 7 o'clock PM. We have plenty of time to explore all that both book-packed floors have to offer.
The city library shares a building with a free photography museum and the municipal archives. You could spend all day here but the two-story library has more than enough fun in store for us. Follow us inside but remember to whisper; we are in a library, after all.
The library opens up to shelves of novels in English and Icelandic. On the wall is the UNESCO City of Literature placard that can be found throughout various spots in Reykjavik. The space is open and bright with plenty of seating area. From here, walk straight to your right to the back of the building. You may be surprised by what you find.
The right wing of the first floor has a rotating art exhibit. Now, the exhibit is a multimedia collection with collages and paintings made of book pages: appropriate for a library, right?
The art space also has an interactive device to show that it took some serious muscles to stamp a book page with an old-fashioned printing press. The replica of an antique printing press definitely makes me appreciate computers and printers but isn't it cool to play with an artifact that, when first invented, helped countries of people learn to read affordable books? Be careful pulling the lever: it is heavier than it looks! Now, follow me back to the entrance area of the library.
We're back at the front of the library but we still have the left wing of the first floor to see. Walk past the staircase to your left to see more artwork.
Have you ever seen a studio and gallery in a library? Here in the city library of Reykjavik, you can find dozens of unique pieces of artwork in different styles.
I wonder if any of these artists were inspired by books that they read in this library? After all, stories are the best inspiration. Speaking of stories, let's go up to the next floor and find a new book or two.
Up the steps we go!
The second floor probably looks more like the libraries that most of us have seen.
There are thousands of books for us to read but there are less computers than in other libraries. Here is one of the few communal desktops offered in this library.
The city library offers spaces for families to come and read for fun. Unlike the National Library, which is focused on scholarly and research work, there are few primary or academic sources here. Most reading material is fictional or otherwise recreational.
The seating in the city library's adult section is very communal and open, such as this circular lounging area.
Come with me toward the back left corner of the second floor. Don't worry, this door won't close behind us. We also will not become disoriented because the second floor is laid out in a large square: we will walk around the perimeter and we will end our tour back where we began.
The adult section changes to a children's wonderland when we go through the door and down the hallway.
A hand-operated bookshelf helps children of all ages (us included) learn more about archives. How cool is that?
Continuing to our right around the perimeter of the square building, we find even more children's books and reading areas. That isn't all, though! Follow me around the corner to find a hands-on surprise that would amaze any young bookworm.
This special room is tucked away so children can dress in costume and use costumes to act out scenes from their favorite books, fairy tales, and other stories. Would you like to learn more about Icelandic sagas? I am sure that several children would love to act it out for us! Alas, that will have to wait for another day.
Toward the end of the children's section is an alcove with cushions -- the perfect reading spot for slightly older children.
A fish tank provides a sort of final marker between the children's section and the adult section. We have had plenty of play time so let's go ahead and continue on to the more mature texts.
A variety of books and movies are avaliable for check out. Here, you can see a pretty impressive selection of films that library users can borrow.
The library offers a place for each member of the family to comfortably read and/or play. We adults also have our own reading nooks, so there is no need to envy the children too much. Now that we have returned to the adult section of the second floor, our tour is coming to an end. Follow me to our next stop.
What a lovely view of the library. We have seen the art exhibits, seating areas, and books for people of all ages. Perhaps you have sighted a new title that you can look up later. In any case, I hope that you've found some peace and inspiration here in the city library.