10 Wonderful Libraries Repurposed from Unused Structures

Last week, the internet went crazy for an abandoned Walmart in McAllen, Texas, that was recently converted into the country’s largest single story library, winning its category in the 2012 Library Interior Design Competition in the process. Inspired, we went on the hunt for other libraries that were born from unused and abandoned structures, from the large (drill halls and supermarkets) to the small (phone booths and shipping containers). After all, what better way to recycle just about anything than to turn it into a center for knowledge? Click through to check out a few libraries that rose from the ashes of other structures, and let us know if we’ve missed any from your town in the comments!

The McAllen Public Library, built inside a 124,500 square foot abandoned Walmart in McAllen, Texas. Photos via.

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The bibliotheque Saint-Jean-Baptiste is located in downtown Quebec city, not Longueuil. And its amazing like library.

The Littlestown Library in Littlestown, PA, used to be an antique/junktique shop. I still have a plaster pedestal I bought there.

C'est cool! The church one is a little scary — only because it isn't well lit. But the graffiti trailer one is RAD. Thanks for sharing, yo.

There is a library in Three Bridges, NJ that was converted from an unused fire house. It's small, personal and charming.

The friendly and busy Oberlin Public Library http://bit.ly/MD71j4 is housed in a former grocery store. Skylights at the entrance and a new facade, plus the reader's garden, are just a few great elements of the complete transformation.

My husband and I happened to be passing through Oakland, Oregon, one day (on a road-trip honeymoon) and we thought the library building (an old schoolhouse) looked interesting, so we sat outside till it opened and went in. There's a picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37257689@N00/3096669706/.

The Octavia Fellin Children's Branch in Gallup, NM used to be a bank. We keep our craft supplies in the vault.

I'd like to visit the decommissioned bullet train in Japan that's now a children's library.

Fabulous story, great pics!

There is an 'Alif Laila' library for children, in Lahore, Pakistan, converted from a bus. Obviously, it is mobile!

People's Library,New Kensington,Pa. Opened in the 1970s.Made from a closed 1949 supermarket. www.peopleslibrary.org

Author Larry McMurtry has more than 500.000 books stored in his two former book stores in Texas. Not sure what he is doing with the places or their contents. He might be open to utilizing them as libraries since he is no longer doing his book-seller thing.

You missed one of the greatest libraries that arose from a transformed building, the Library El Tintal Manuel Zapata Olivella; it was opened in 2001, is in central Bogota, Colombia. The building used to be a waste transfer plant - how cool is that. http://4hongas.blogspot.com/2010/11/libraries-in-bogota.html