British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is the world's largest research library, holding over 150 million items and adding some 3 million every year. As of March 2004 the library holds 11.2 million monographs and receives more than 41,500 serials.

Historical background

As an institution the British Library is surprisingly young compared to equivalent institutions in other countries, having been created in 1973 by the British Library Act 1972. Prior to this, the national library was the British Museum Library part of the British Museum, which provided the bulk of the holdings of the new library, alongside various smaller organisations which were folded in (such as the British National Bibliography). In 1983, the library absorbed the National Sound Archive.

Related Topics:
1973 - British Museum - British National Bibliography - 1983 - National Sound Archive

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For many years its collections were dispersed in various buildings around central London, in places such as Bloomsbury (right next to the British Museum), Chancery Lane, and Holborn, with the lending library at Boston Spa and the newspaper library at Colindale. Since 1997, however, the main collection has been housed in a single new building in Euston Road next to St. Pancras railway station. The new library was designed specially for the purpose by the architect Colin St. John Wilson. It is the largest public building constructed in the United Kingdom in the 20th century. However, newspapers are still held at Colindale and there is also a collection at a site at Boston Spa in Yorkshire.

Related Topics:
Central London - Bloomsbury - Chancery Lane - Holborn - Boston Spa - Colindale - 1997 - Euston Road - St. Pancras railway station - Colin St. John Wilson - 20th century - Yorkshire

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At the heart of the building is a three story glass tower containing The King's Library, with 65,000 printed volumes along with other pamphlets, manuscripts and maps collected by King George III between 1763 and 1820.

Related Topics:
King George III - 1763 - 1820

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