All libraries in the world - whether they are small or large, public or private - serve the same purpose: to preserve, cherish and show off riches that have often been neglected. From El Escorial in Spain to the Congress in Washington, from Trinity College, Cambridge to the Abbey of Saint-Gall, this volume reveals an exceptional heritage: nearly 20 shrines to culture, entirely devoted to the presentation of knowledge, stacked with writings and shrouded in silence.