Your favorite locations to enter into the system

Not your favorite bookstores/libraries/fairs, but the locations that were actually the most fun to put into the system. This means venues that you were delighted to find out exist, or venues that look like they might be great to shop at, venues with fun websites/contact info, or venues that are just plain WEIRD.

I think for me, it's a tie between:

Rudy's Library

Coney Island Book Store and Barber Shop

After reading the New York Times article about Newark's lack of bookstores, one bookstore mentioned in the article was Source of Knowledge...pictured on the store front, the store's sign reads:

"Source of Knowledge
BOOKS ART GIFT ITEMS
1 Hr. Custom Framing
African Hair Styles
Braiding & Hair Locking"

I just thought this was truly a community bookstore!

That article tells me something needs to be done about Newark. We don't even have that many Newark libraries listed...

Tuzzy Consortium Library for me (so far), tho Google Maps seems to have it in the wrong place. Does anybody know if there's a library on Tierra del Fuego?

http://www.bibsarmiento.com.ar/

?

(Went looking for libraries in Ushuaia.)

>5 lampbane:

So I guess that must be the southernmost library in The Americas, eh?

I think I've found the dumbest thing; ever . . .

http://antarcticaedu.com/

>>7 BOB81:

Dammit, I can't unsee it! Ugh.

Maybe we should all post reaction videos to seeing the Antartica website. It could be a new trend.

5,6>

I'll see your Ushuaia and raise you the South Pole Station library.

>>10 lorax:

But if the ice is shifting, how are we supposed to plot it in Google Maps?

>11 lampbane:

South Pole Station Library
90° 0′ 0″ S, 139° 16′ 0″ W
South Pole, Antarctica

Wi-Fi?

There is something wrong with that position; I suspect it is the latitude south.

Robert

>13 Mr.Durick:

I don't know, but if you paste it into Google Earth, it takes you right there.

>>12 BOB81:

Actually I meant that apparently it's changing positions, though I didn't actually bother to read how much it actually moves in a year.

>15 lampbane:

Yeah, and we'd better get it just right because, what with the blowing snow and all, visitors might miss it completely! I wouldn't want any frozen LTers on my conscience.

>>16 BOB81:

But maybe you can have their books.

I actually know several people who've been to the Pole, though I don't know if any of them have plans to go back. I wonder if they'd be willing to take some nice clear photos of the bookshelves, so we could catalog the station's library? :)

Here's another isolated venue.

http://www.librarything.com/venue/15145

>15 lampbane:, 18

If the ice is shifting, how often do they have to move this thing?

I discovered an interesting venue yesterday: the self-proclaimed "smallest library in the U.S.A."

I enjoyed a scenic drive yesterday, photographing some of the rural libraries in eastern Tennessee. While shooting the Coalfield Library, I noticed a small, shed-like structure located by itself at the edge of the field. The size of this structure, along with its isolated position, made me suspect that the Coalfield Library lacked indoor plumbing.

However, I could see a sign beside the shed, along with what appeared to be a book return box. Walking closer to read the sign, I was surprised to learn that the shed was itself an independent library: the Back Valley Public Library, the "smallest library in the U.S.A."

After establishing that this was not an outhouse, I peered through the window and confirmed the presence of books on shelves.

No website.
No phone number.
No email.
No Wifi.
No food/drink.
Has not been told about LT local.

Love that library. I wish the NYT story were live (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E1D81338F935A3575AC0A962958260).

New entry for the list:

Westfield Book Exchange

Here's a BBC article about it.

And it actually has a website.

>>19 BOB81:

I'm now scheduled to visit the library in Ascension (and St Helena http://www.librarything.com/venue/10779/ ) in January 2011, will bring back photos.

We have plans to go here http://www.librarything.com/venue/33704/ in September 2012 (NB Google plots this somewhat to the north of the island!).