Bloomsbury

British Library

96 Euston Road
London WC1
0870 444 1500
http://www.bl.uk/

This new building houses the Nation's most important collection of books, manuscripts and maps. The British Library was designed by Sir Colin Wilson and was opened in 1998. 

The collection used to be in the British Museum, but the new building makes a splendid setting.  A copy of every book printed book in the English language is held here - 16 million books in all - and these can be consulted by anyone with the proper Reader's Ticket which you have to apply for. 

Left: The British Library - photo by Stephen McKay and reproduced by kind permission

Some of the most famous items in the collection include the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Magna Carta, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and of course Shakespeare's First Folio of his complete works, published after his death. 

It is a magnificent collection - one of the greatest in the whole World - and visitors can spend a wet afternoon or a whole week trawling through its treasures.

The British Library is holding a series of tours on Thursday afternoons at 2.00pm starting on 4 October 2007 showing the work of their famous Conservation Centre. See our Events page for full details on how to book for these tours.

Nearest Tube station: Kings Cross.

Back to Museums