In my house, it's library week all year long.

Because this week is National Library Week, I went looking for photos of the Minneapolis Central Library, a newish building by Argentine architect César Pelli, and a building I just love. It is full of light, welcoming in a cold climate, and a hub of activity. The branch libraries are just as busy.

On Flickr, I discovered a photo set that lead me to the work of photographer, Nattapol (aka jbnuwat). His architectural images are fabulous. You can see his work at his website Five O'Clock Studio, including the set of photos of the Minneapolis Central Library.

When we moved back to the U.S. from Japan, I was a very lonely sixth-grader, and I found refuge in the school library. That was the year I discovered The Lord of the Rings, but I had already been devouring books for years. In the next six years of Jr. High and High School, while we lived in San Francisco, I usually had books out from three different libraries. My refuge was in books, and the library was my second home.