i've died and gone to library heaven

The Canadian Parliamentary Library quite literally took my breath away. It is the only part of the original parliament to have survived the 1916 fire. Because it is a working library, no pictures were allowed. Because I wouldn't risk being thrown out of one of the hands down, most enchanting and mesmerizing rooms I've ever been in, I found these photos via dear Google.

What you first notice when you walk through the door is the warm wood and intricate carvings. As you walk a little further, you're hit by the rotunda of bookshelves. Books everywhere, spines of every color- all of which are guarded by a statue of Queen Victoria. If you know the movie and scene, it reminded me of when in Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version) the Beast presents Belle with his library. As a little girl, it was the most incredible thing to me: shelves upon shelves of adventures, mysteries, friends, and foes. Thousands of books. all waiting to be discovered. Then you peer up into the dome and realize that you could stay here forever. What more could you ask for? I contemplated for a moment what my chances were of being noticed if I stealthy escaped from the tour group and found a deserted place on the second or third level...how long would it be before they found me and what kind of trouble would I be in? I've never considered a livelihood has a librarian, but if it meant working here, I'd be game.