Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
14 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
15 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
16 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
17 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Lerwick Shetland Library

Shetland Library

This public library still showcases its former life as a 19th-century church.

Lerwick, Scotland

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Shetland Library   annedavid2012/Anne and David
Shetland Library   annedavid2012/Anne and David
Shetland Library   annedavid2012/Anne and David
Shetland Library   Tom Bastin
Shetland Library   annedavid2012/Anne and David
“Worlds of Words and Wonders”, artwork outside the Library, by Janny Benthem, Yvonne Haltens and Andrew Graham.   annedavid2012/Anne and David
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Adaptive reuse is a term commonly used to refer to the repurposing of a building away from its original use. Museums that celebrate the former lives of the buildings they occupy are some of the most common examples. However, another surprisingly common repurposing can be seen in the bevy of churches that have been transformed into libraries. 

Perhaps due to the near-sacred value placed on physical books, or maybe it's just the luxury of high ceilings that can house hundreds of shelves, old churches appear to make perfect libraries. Whatever the reason, this particular transformation has occurred in several places across the world. A wide variety of churches, in various sizes and designs, are now home to unique libraries.

What is now the Shetland Library was once St. Ringan's United Free Church, a relatively small church constructed between 1885-1886 and designed by R. G. Sykes. Its readaptation into a library was completed in 2002. Nearly all of the church's original stained glassed windows were preserved and now illuminate the collection of books and other learning materials.

Related Tags

Churches Libraries Architecture Stained Glass Windows Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday. Closed on Sundays.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Published

December 23, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.scottish-places.info/scotgaz/features/featurefirst90258.html
Shetland Library
4 Hillhead
Lerwick, Scotland, ZE1 0EJ
United Kingdom
60.153342, -1.146517
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Up Helly Aa

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

Lerwick Public Sign Snail

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

'Shetland Receivers'

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lerwick

Lerwick

Scotland

Places 5

Nearby Places

Up Helly Aa

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

Lerwick Public Sign Snail

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

'Shetland Receivers'

Lerwick, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lerwick

Lerwick

Scotland

Places 5

Related Places

  • All Saints’ Church of Tudeley

    Tudeley, England

    All Saints' Church of Tudeley

    This medieval church is the only one in the world that features all Marc Chagall stained-glass windows.

  • Vank Cathedral exterior today.

    Isfahan, Iran

    Vank Cathedral

    The cathedral stands in New Jufa, Isfahan's Armenian quarter that was established in 1606.

  • Steinhof Church.

    Vienna, Austria

    Steinhof Church

    The first modernist church in Europe.

  • The church’s historical stained glass window.

    Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Medieval Choir Windows

    This unique medieval artwork featuring the story of the Antichrist remained lost for decades.

  • The chapel.

    Nottinghamshire, England

    Chapel of Saint Mary the Virgin

    English Protestants once criticized this enormous private chapel for being too ornate.

  • The Sacred Heart Cathedral of Oran.

    Oran, Algeria

    Sacred Heart Cathedral of Oran

    This former cathedral is now a bustling library packed with students and pigeons.

  • Angel sculptures hanging from the Cathedral of Brasília.

    Brasília, Brazil

    Cathedral of Brasília

    A stunning Catholic cathedral built by a curve-loving communist in Brazil’s newly created capital.

  • The stained glass.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Magdalen Chapel

    The 16th-century church has the only stained glass windows that survived the Scottish Reformation intact.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.