Michael wrote

Great--no question about that. I used to complain about the closed stacks, but having tramped around Firestone library in Princeton yesterday balancing a huge stack of books on my winter coat, hunting for books not in their proper place, I have come to appreciate even the convenient delivery of LC books straight to the European reading room. Is it the "greatest"? One could make a strong claim in terms of the collection and environment. But the great cafe in the Staastsbibliothek in Berlin, which is a modern architectural masterpiece (see the film "Himmel ueber Berlin") certainly prompt the observation that all the great libraries have some pluses and minuses.

Eric said

The Library of Congress is THE greatest library in the world--a cathedral of learning. Good things happen when one maintains a regular reading schedule. There's always some unexpected source that makes the article/book chapter so much better.