While not always the most exciting, important or useful; there is something to be said about being “first”. Believed to have been opened around 560 CE, St. Catherine’s Monastery in South Sinai, Egypt is believed to be the oldest, continually operated library in the world.
There is also an older, and probably still not the oldest or first, the Al-Qarawiyyin opened first in approximately 860 CE has had to be closed and access restricted due to structural damage.But it is still beautiful, as is St. Catherine’s, and rich of history to share just by walking around
(1) https://matadornetwork.com/trips/15-super-unique-libraries-around-the-world-pics/
(2)
(3) https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-oldest-library-al-qarawiyyin/index.html