British Library
UK's national collection
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, located in London.
It holds over 170 million items, including books, manuscripts, maps, and sound recordings, making it one of the largest libraries in the world.
The library receives a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland through legal deposit.
Handwritten or typed originals
- cataloguesComprehensive lists of items
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- scrollsRolled written records
- codexAncient bound manuscript
papyrus · documents · records · preservation · conservation · curator · archivist · repository
Valued cultural possession
- cultural heritageInherited collective traditions
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- historyRecord of past events
- legacyWhat's passed down
tradition · artifacts · relics · restoration · conservation · Lindisfarne Gospels · Gutenberg Bible · sacred texts
Educational funding or erudition
- studyDeliberate learning effort
- academiaHigher education community
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
- publicationsWorks issued to readers
bibliography · methodology · thesis · dissertation · interlibrary loan · scientific papers · citation · primary sources
manuscripts
Handwritten or typed originals
- cataloguesComprehensive lists of items
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- scrollsRolled written records
codex · papyrus · documents · records · preservation · conservation · curator · archivist · repository · collection
national treasure
Valued cultural possession
- cultural heritageInherited collective traditions
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- historyRecord of past events
legacy · tradition · artifacts · relics · restoration · conservation · Lindisfarne Gospels · Gutenberg Bible · sacred texts · historical documents
scholarship
Educational funding or erudition
- studyDeliberate learning effort
- academiaHigher education community
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
publications · bibliography · methodology · thesis · dissertation · interlibrary loan · scientific papers · citation · primary sources
Shakespeare
Elizabethan dramatist and poet
Chaucer · poetry · novels · drama · fiction · prose · literature · classics · first editions · folios
- historical librariesHouse of Wisdom
- Major Libraries
- librarieslibrarians, librarian, circulation desk, stacks, reference desk
- LondonChelsea, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Big Ben
- British InstitutionsBank of England, House of Lords, House of Commons, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey
- European cultural institutionsLouvre, Uffizi, Prado, Vatican Museums, Rijksmuseum