This place is all light and silver and books. I was worried, when I moved to Berlin, that my trek…read moreto a library would be a sort of exodus - living in Berkeley, where I could stretch out my arms and touch three libraries with my fingertips, I had gotten used to both quality and proximity, and the Gedenkbibliothek fills both those criteria. Almost a hundred sun-facing tables with spindly-legged chairs line the back windows. They fill up quickly in the morning, so get there early (by 11 or half-past) to nab a spot. The youth section, downstairs, is colorful and charming; entering the main library feels like walking into MI6 but for books. The selection of English books is sparse, but if you read German, you're golden, especially in terms of nonfiction: I've seen a generous heaping of everything from art to philosophy to travel on the shelves.

Huge library with books about almost everything you look for. There is a children's library in the…read morebasement and a seating area with magazines on the 2nd floor. They have some English books too, I think. The building is the former Jewish orphanage of Berlin Pankow, which was shut down under the nazi regime.

wonderful library. Many opportunities for kids. Many DVDs and CDs.read more