I'm sorry but as someone going to library school I have to argue against the inclusion of the Sunnydale High Library, as really it's not a very good library at all. It's unwelcoming and the big problem there are sizable amount of books that are shelved wrong, either being upside-down or backwards, my library friends and I play a spot the badly shelved books whenever we watch scenes in the library. This is avoiding the whole topic of how terrible Giles was as a school library tech. I love the sunnydale high library, I really do, it just is a pretty terrible library from what little we see.

Judedeath | January 28, 20:20 CET

Bad shelving or no, personally I'd have to disagree on the unwelcoming factor. Having grown up watching Buffy through my teens, the library was always my favourite set from any movie or tv show. It just always felt like home whenever the scoobies were in there.

Fivewordsorless | January 29, 03:12 CET

Yes, but a school library isn't supposed to be welcoming to only 10 students. It is great as a hangout for the Scoobies, but as a school library, it is horrible. I can only remember two times students came to the library for books in three years. And one of those times, Giles and the gang ran away before he could really help. I think this shows that the library was unwelcoming to everyone who wasn't there for Buffy.

LadyJay | January 29, 05:29 CET

Sunnydale High library--we may love it, but I wouldn't consider it for a list of best libraries, no.

First one I thought of was Lucien's library from Sandman. Glad it's listed.

Niels van Eekelen | January 29, 05:54 CET

Sigh, was hoping for Dickson's Final encyclopedia, but guess I'm alone it that.

DaddyCatALSO | January 29, 07:33 CET

@LadyJay

That's exactly what I was talking about, even when they weren't keeping the library closed for training and the like we only saw pretty much 2 times that students actually came to the library other than the scoobies or being forced to by teachers. Yeah, I agree it's a nice set and I like it, but really it fails as a library, because a library is supposed to be more than just "Where the books live". And more importantly I'd put the UCSD library that they show in one scene I can remember on this list before this one.

Judedeath | January 29, 07:40 CET

What about those two or three books from Wolfram & Hart that could be any book in the world you wanted. That seems to a pretty good library in itself.

barboo | January 29, 07:41 CET

High company Sunnydale is keeping... but yes, not the most inviting place:

"What are you doing here?"

"We're supposed to get some books. On Stalin."

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | January 29, 08:25 CET

I am currenlty the acting director for our college library system, and this article has all our librarians in a friendly debate over which is the best and which they were aware of- great post!

Dana5140 | January 29, 08:59 CET

I always thought those ladders in the Beast's library looked structurally unsound. I mean how do you climb those things?

Mr. E | January 29, 12:01 CET

I am now desperate to read Jorge Luis Borges and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Two things I never thought would happen. I heart libraries.

Also I support the inclusion of Sunnydale High because I have a soft spot in my heart for libraries as private places and for keeping the rabble out.

digupherbones | January 29, 12:24 CET