From Chocorua to Dublin: Shauna’s Visit to the Long Room at Trinity College Library
This week, our librarian, Shauna, carried the spirit of Chocorua Public Library all the way across the Atlantic on a journey to Ireland. Among her stops was one of the most breathtaking and historic literary treasures in the world: the Long Room at Trinity College Library in Dublin.
Walking into the Long Room feels like stepping into the heart of book history itself. Built in the early 1700s, the Long Room stretches nearly 65 meters and holds over 200,000 of Trinity’s oldest books. Its soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling, polished wooden shelves, and marble busts of great thinkers—from Socrates to Shakespeare—make it one of the most photographed and admired libraries on Earth.
For Shauna, who spends her days surrounded by books and readers here in Chocorua, visiting the Long Room was both humbling and inspiring. “It was like walking into a cathedral of books,” she shared. “Everywhere you looked, history and knowledge surrounded you. It reminded me why libraries—big or small—matter so deeply.”
One of the treasures of the Long Room is the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels created by Celtic monks over 1,000 years ago. Shauna marveled at the artistry and devotion poured into preserving words for future generations—something that resonates with her work in our own library.
Shauna’s trip highlights how connected libraries are across the world. Whether in a rural village in New Hampshire or on the bustling streets of Dublin, libraries share the same mission: to preserve knowledge, to inspire curiosity, and to welcome every visitor who walks through the doors.
We will be delighted to have Shauna back at Chocorua Public Library, carrying with her fresh inspiration from one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. The shelves here may not be as long, but the spirit of curiosity and wonder is just as grand.
