Australia's $69M Library Now Houses Shakespeare's First Folio
Australia's Museum of Old and New Art just opened a stunning new library with 30,000 treasures, including one of the world's rarest books. The collection brings Shakespeare's legendary First Folio to the Southern Hemisphere alongside children's books, historic maps, and art. ---
One of the world's most precious literary treasures just found a new home in Tasmania, where Shakespeare's words now echo across the Southern Hemisphere.
Australia's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has unveiled its brand new library, a $69 million celebration of the written word housing 30,000 items spanning centuries. The crown jewel? A copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the 1623 collection that preserved 36 of the playwright's works for future generations.
Without this book, we might have lost masterpieces like Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and The Tempest forever. Only around 235 copies survive today, making each one a priceless link to literary history.
The library doesn't just cater to scholars and Shakespeare enthusiasts. It welcomes everyone with a collection that ranges from colorful children's books to contemporary artworks, historic maps to rare volumes you won't find anywhere else in the region.
MONA, known for pushing boundaries and surprising visitors, has created something genuinely democratic with this space. The museum that once shocked art lovers with provocative exhibits now offers a place where a kid reading their first picture book shares the same room as a 400-year-old masterpiece.
The Ripple Effect
This investment in literature and access matters beyond Tasmania's shores. By bringing such a rare treasure to Australia, MONA has saved countless students, researchers, and Shakespeare lovers from expensive trips overseas just to see this historic text.
The library also signals something bigger: that culture and education deserve world-class spaces in every corner of the globe, not just in traditional cultural capitals. Tasmania, an island state often overlooked, now holds one of humanity's greatest literary artifacts.
For local schools, this means field trips that inspire the next generation of writers and thinkers. For tourists, it means another reason to visit this creative corner of Australia. For book lovers everywhere, it means Shakespeare's legacy continues to grow and reach new audiences.
The First Folio reminds us that words written 400 years ago still move us, challenge us, and bring us together in shared wonder at human creativity.
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Based on reporting by Euronews
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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