There are two things that I love and could talk about for hours- books, and traveling. Of course I love to mix the two together.

But I think that this is something that should be encouraged for every person traveling- to stop at a library at their destination. It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak the language of the place that you’re visiting, or even if you aren’t visiting a place that far away from your hometown. Here’s the reasons why I think that you NEED to visit a library during your next trip.

A taste of the culture

Out of all of the reasons, this is definitely the greatest that I can mention. Libraries can give you a taste of the culture where you are, and can also give you more ideas of what you need to experience before you leave!

Often in libraries you will find a section that has books of all kinds about the place that you’re visiting. There will be books that you have never heard about or have never seen in your hometown. Even if you don’t understand the language, looking at the pictures can be a very cool way to learn more about the area that you’re in. Sometimes, you will even find books that are ONLY in the library that you are visiting, and you know that you have found a gem when you have found one of those.

Librarians are often happy to share a little bit about their culture with you and point you towards the books that will help you learn more about everything there is to know about their culture!

This still applies when you are visiting somewhere that isn’t too far from your hometown. Let’s use Utah and Idaho as examples. You may not see the point of visiting a library in Utah if you’re from Idaho, because what is different? There may not seem to be a lot. But that is the exact reason that going to a library on your trip may be a good idea- because then you will be able to learn the unique things about Utah that you wouldn’t know without visiting a library and seeing the things that are important to the locals.

They are free!

Visiting a library is a free addition to your trip and is a fun activity for all ages. Kids will love reading books about the place that they are at or looking at pictures- and the sections of the library which I mentioned earlier that have books about the region that you are in often have children’s books written about the place that you’re in.

They also have free pubilc bathrooms and toilets- so if you are visiting someplace that doesn’t have free restrooms- you can rest assured that you will find free restrooms in the library. (This was very applicable to me when I lived in France, because free public toilets are hard to come by there.)

From the time that I spent living in France and visiting numerous libraries there- I discovered that every library I visited had something special about it. That brings me to my next point:

So many libraries double as museums

Libraries are known for having a lot of books. More often than not, however, books are not the only resource that libraries have to help people learn. There are often computers, other forms of media to check out- and so often- special decorations or activities to help people learn more.

An example of this is the library in Rennes, France called Les Champs Libres. This library is not only a library, but also has 3 seperate museum exhibits, a children’s curiousity center, a room full of board games, a cafeteria, a space exhibit and multiple science exhibits, and more. It may be called a library- but it contains so many things that make it an essential stop for people traveling to Rennes, France.

Not all libraries will be as crazy as that one- but there are so many smaller examples I could share as well. One time, when I was living in the small town of Compiegne, France, my friend Chloe and I visited a small library down the street from where we were living. There was an entire set-up of paper sculptures that had been done, plus a full gallery from local artists upstairs! It was amazing, and something that I would have been sad to miss out on.

Free activities and events

Even at your local library- I can almost guarantee that there will be various events going on. It can be anything from a children’s book reading activity to a puppet show to book signings to chess clubs to escape room games- the list goes on. While planning a trip somewhere, one could research the activities happening at the libraries of the places that one will be visiting to see if there is anything essential or special to add to the travel itinerary.

Sometimes there are even pop-up activities that happen outside of the library! At the library in my hometown, they have a field next to it and it serves as a great place for them to host carnivals and other events. It would be a shame to miss out on some fun, free activities during your trip if they are right there availiable to you!

What if I don’t speak the language?

Go check out the libraries around you anyways. In a lot of places, especially touristy places, there are a lot of things in English to read. Even if not, like mentioned before, in libraries you can find free art, galleries, and activites, and those are for anyone- whether they speak the language or not!

Plus, reading in a different language is a great way to learn another language- it’s one of the biggest things that helped me with my French learning.

In conclusion, these are my reasons for why everyone needs to visit libraries while they travel. I hope that you can incorporate a library visit into your next trip and experience the magic that it can add to your travels. Happy exploring! I hope you have a great trip!