The British Library

The British Library

The British Library

The Front Entrance to The British Library
The British Library

Overview

The national library of the United Kingdom, The British Library is the second largest library in the world [1]. It contains over one hundred-fifty million items from around the world, including over fourteen million books [1].

Background

The British Library is fairly young; although its contents include ancient manuscripts and prehistoric artifacts [1]. The idea of a national library for the United Kingdom only came forward in the 1960s [2]. While work and planning began in the '70s, the building itself did not open to the public until 1998 [2]. When it was finished, The British Library was the single largest public building constructed in the United Kingdom in the 20th century [3]. Today, over sixteen thousand people use The British Library's extensive collection each day, either through its building or its online resources [3].

The King's Library

The King's Library, also called the George III Collection, consists of sixty-five thousand volumes and nineteen thousand pamphlets, collected by King George III. Its contents were largely printed in Britain, Europe, and North America between the 15th and early 19th centuries. This collection is considered one of the most significant collections of the Enlightenment.

References

[1] British Library. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Library
[2] History of the British Library. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2017, from http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/facts/history/
[3] Facts and Figures. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2017, from https://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/facts/

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