material ranging from Magna Carta and Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook to today's newspapers and websites.
13.5 million printed books and e-books
.
310,000 manuscript volumes
: from Jane Austen to James Joyce; Handel to the Beatles. 60 million patents.
What is kept in the British Library?
The British Library is a major research library, with items in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital:
books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings
, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings.
How many books are in the British Library?
The library's collections include
around 14 million books
, along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC.
What is the oldest book in the British Library?
The earliest, ‘complete' book in English that survives at the British Library may be
the Tollemache Orosius
, an Old English adaptation of Orosius's History against the Pagans, made around 900. Old English texts surviving in later manuscripts range from heroic epics, such as Beowulf and Judith, to legal documents.
Can anyone go to the British Library?
Everyone can use our Reading Rooms for study and research
, and you don't need to pre-book. You just need a Reader Pass, and you're in. You need to pre-book an appointment to renew or get a new Reader Pass.
Where is world's largest Library?
The Library of Congress
is the largest library in the world with more than 170 million items.
Does British Library have every book?
We receive a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland through legal deposit
. Last year we received over 500,000 printed and digital items and over 100 terabytes from the UK web domain. If you see five items each day, it would take you over 80,000 years to see the whole of the collection.
Who funds the British Library?
The British Library is an arm's length body sponsored by
the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
. Most of our funding is received from DCMS as Grant in Aid.
Which is the oldest Library in the world?
Both works, as well as 4,000 other rare books, can be found at the world's oldest continually operating library.
Al-Qarawiyyin library in Fez, Morocco
opened in 1359 C.E., at the University of Al-Qarawiyyin (also the world's oldest, built in 859 C.E.).
Is it free to go to the British Library?
Become a Reader for
free access to our Reading Rooms
. Become a Member to enjoy free entry to exhibitions as well as free tickets and priority booking to our lively programme of talks and performances.
Which is oldest religious book?
History of religious texts
The ”Rigveda”
– a scripture of Hinduism – is dated to between 1500–1200 BCE. It is one of the oldest known complete religious texts that has survived into the modern age.
Which is the oldest country in the world?
| Country | Iran | Age Rank | 1 | Sovereignty Acquired | 3200 BC | 2021 Population | 85,028,759 |
|---|
Can I borrow books from the British Library?
Public Lending Right
(PLR) was established by Act of Parliament in 1979. It is the responsibility of the British Library and gives authors the legal right to receive payment from government each time their books are loaned through the public library system.
Can you take photos in the British Library?
Yes
, you are allowed to use your compact camera, tablet and or mobile phone to photograph some of our collections. …
Who can join the British Library?
8.4 You
have to be over 18
to apply for membership. 8.6 You can contact us by telephoning us at +44(0)1937 546060 or by email to
[email protected]
or by writing to us at British Library Membership, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB.
Who can use British Library?
We do not normally give access to people under the age of 18
. Search the Library's catalogues to confirm that we have the material you require. Bring with you the details of the items you wish to see.
