British Library

The British Library was the next stop on the list of libraries and archives.  The British Library was originally part of the British Museum in 1753 and in 1972 it separated from the British Museum.  Sir Colin St John Wilson begin in 1980 in building the British Library building that is used today.  It looks similar to a ship!  The British Library moved to its present building in 1997 and in 1998 it was officially opened by the Queen.

The British Library has the largest stamp collection but it is only 1% of the library's collections.  Since it is a reference library, the British Library has 11 reading rooms.  The British Library is very similar to the Library of Congress because the reason for this is that any book, newspapers, regional books that are published in the UK and Ireland - a copy must be given to the British Library.   Just like the Library of Congress the British Library must legally keep everything!

One of the most impressive collections that the British Library owns is the George III personal collection.  George IV did not want George III's collection therefore the British Library acquired the collection but two conditions had to be met - 1) the collection had to be kept together and 2) the collection must be on show therefore the collection is enclosed in a four sided glass enclosure in which all the books within the collection can be viewed.  The collection is huge!

The British Library has several items on display as well being a working library.  It has several copies of Magna Carta (4 total), a Gutenberg Bible (which only 180 were made), a first edition King James Bible (created in 1611),  Tyndale's New Testament (only 3 copies left), a Codex Sinaiticus (New Testment in Greek printed in 350 A.D. on vailum), Lindisfarne Gospels (which the cover is jewel encrusted) and Beowulf (an epic poem in Old English which is the only manuscript that is Anglo-Saxon).

The British Library has Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland but it had been on tour therefore it was put away.  It was resting!  I was somewhat disappointed that I could not see it while I there, however it gives me an excuse to go back in the future!