Kevin Sharpe details the shift in libraries from a quiet place of study to a rowdy social space over on Times Higher Education. Needless to say, he is not a fan of the changes.

At a time when student learning has never been more important, we need to restore the library to its vital role as a “learning environment” – a quiet haven of independent study removed from the cacophony of everyday life. Please may we have our libraries back?

What are your thoughts on this? Here in Seattle, our public library is a local architectural icon that attracts a large number of tourists; it’s free shelter for hundreds of the city’s homeless when they’re chased out of wherever they stayed the night before (especially on days with inclement weather); it’s a social gathering point with free computers; and finally, it’s host to job seekers in use of the free internet. Am I leaving any big group out? On many days, it feel like the minority of people in there are there for the books.

On the one hand, it’s totally legitimate that the library as social institution changes as our media migrates to new formats but it’s hard to balance the social impact of these shifts when their full impact is still unknown.

The grandest and most stunning reading hall (Prunksaal actually translates as “Splendor Hall”) I have personally laid eyes upon, the Prunksaal in the Austrian National Library is well worth your visit if you’re of the “art and literature” persuasion. Compared to the other libraries we saw on this trip, the best thing about this hall is that you can actually walk inside and explore (although you cannot touch).

Designed and begun by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in 1721, the Prunksaal was completed after his death in 1723 by his son, Joseph Emanuel. The ceiling frescoes are by Viennese artist Daniel Gran and depict images of war and peace, which is how the hall’s book collection is divided. The sculptures are by Lorenzo Mattielli. While the hall itself is a work of art, the collection of books is also outstanding: the oldest book

I think my favorite part of the hall was seeing the secret reading rooms behind the bookcases. Spectacular.

Below are just a few of the photos we took while there (click the images to see larger size or visit flickr to see more uploaded photos).

The Hall:

View from the center with books, sculpture, and frescoes:

Detail of the Daniel Gran frescoes in the dome:

Giant bookshelves: