WASHINGTON — The great literary cities of the world invoke images of medieval architecture, sidewalk cafes and innumerable book stores.
Does this sound like D.C.? Not necessarily. But with the world’s largest library located in the U.S. capital, Washington makes National Geographic’s list of Top 10 Literary Cities.
Coming in at No. 8, D.C. is home to the enviable Library of Congress. It occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill that were built over 100 years. The collection boasts 147 million items, including more than 33 million printed materials in 470 languages. The library also has the largest rare book collection in North America and the world’s largest collection of legal materials.
“It’s no surprise that Washington, D.C. has been named to the list,” says Jennifer Gavin, acting director of communications for the Library of Congress. “{We’re} a big part of that.”
The Library of Congress also hosts the National Book Festival, which drew an estimated 200,000 people in 2011. More than 112 national and international authors, poets and illustrators from all genres and mediums participated in the two-day event, making it the biggest book event in the country.
And let’s not forget Northwest shops Politics & Prose and Kramerbooks, which have both become gathering places for bibliophiles of all persuasions and interests.
Recently, Politics & Prose started offering an alternative to pricey printing and Xeroxing. Looking for something that is out of print? Test drive the Espresso Book Machine. Customers team up with a store employee to manufacture their own hardcover copy right in the store. The book machine can print 500 pages in about five minutes and is one of, if not the only, such device housed in a commercial business.
“When you think about who lives here, you have people who are fortunate to be well educated,” Gavin says. “There is a lively atmosphere — not just politically, but also culturally. Being an avid reader is part and parcel to that.”
Other cities that made the grade: Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Portland, Melbourne and Santiago.
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