Bay Area libraries are more than the books they hold. They are central meeting places with architecture that reflects the history and culture of their respective neighborhoods.

In the past few decades, cities like San Francisco have given their libraries extensive makeovers under the Branch Library Improvement Program that have brought the city’s bibliothecas up to date, while at the same time preserving their detailed exteriors and interiors.

Here are 20 of our favorite libraries around the Bay Area.

Want to see some literary stunners outside the Bay Area? Check out Curbed’s 20 most beautiful libraries in the United States, featuring the Geisel Library at University of California San Diego and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven, Connecticut.