AUSTIN — Ask any Austinite and they may tell you Austin is the best city in the State of Texas, but now one of its newest buildings is getting some high-profile recognition of an even greater caliber.
TIME Magazine has just named Austin Central Library one of the "World's Greatest Places."
To make the list, editors and experts combed through 1,200 nominations from around the world, highlighting 100 destinations that they believe are breaking new ground, leading in industry trends and are giving guests an extraordinary experience.
To do so, TIME requested nominations across categories including museums, parks, restaurants and hotels. Each nomination was then evaluated by key factors like quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence. As a result, the list reflects our diverse world with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries.
Austin's library is the only library from the United States that made the list, and only one of three featured in the entire world.
"I think this library is very Austin," said Rachel Nguyen, the library's development manager. "It's a place of community, with a lot of books."
Nguyen told KVUE that the library brings in a lot of people who are shocked by the giant chess board, or the stairs that look straight out of Harry Potter. But for her and the rest of the library's staff, it belongs to every one in Austin.
"We like to remind people that this is really their building and their books, so please come to visit your books and your library," said Nguyen.
To see the full TIME list, click here.
PHOTOS: A look inside Austin Central Library
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