a visit to the British Library

"The world's knowledge."

THURSDAY, JULY 3rd we visited the British Library, roughly the UK equivalent of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., but so much cooler (at least from a tourist perspective). The British Library was originally a division of the British Museum housed within the museum itself, but as the collections grew, the need for more space also grew. Under the direction of architect and former Navy volunteer Colin St. John Wilson, the plans for the new library began to take shape in the 1970s, although construction was not complete until 1997. The library is the largest public building in the UK built in the 20th century. 

The library was formally opened by Her Magesty the Queen in 1998, and as a legal deposit library, the library is required to retain copies of everything published in the UK and Ireland. One thing that took me by surprise was the reason for the 18+ age requirement for use: when they say they have to keep everything, they mean everything published, including pornographic and other "adult" materials. Since users have access to all of the library's materials, a user MUST be over 18. However, a user who is 16 or 17 years old may be able to use the library on a restricted access basis if the library is the only library that provides access to a specific resource needed for a school assignment. This is done on a case-by-case basis. 

There are quite a few interesting facts regarding the library's construction. While the building was designed in the 1970s, delays and other issues (such as finding plague pits while excavating the basements!) meant that by the time construction was complete, some elements were no longer needed or were a bit "odd." The space designed for the card catalog in the 1970s was no longer needed by the 1990s due to technological advances, so that space became the King's Library tower which houses the collections of King George III, required to be on display and accessible at all times. 

(Sorry, it's not a very good photo, but this tower goes from the ground floor to the top of the building, directly in the center.)

As a Jane Austen fan, the highlight of the trip for me was seeing an original copy of her novel Persuasion (my absolute favorite!) in the Treasures Room. Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed in the Treasures Room because of the rarity and importance of the items there. A trip to the gift shop was absolutely necessary to purchase a postcard for 60p instead. 

Another thing I did not realize, but was quite happy to discover is that the British Library is literally right next door to St. Pancras train station. It's a beautiful building now being used as the gateway for Eurostar trains to/from France and Belgium. The library's facade was actually influenced by its proximity to St. Pancras - the library is the only modern public building to utilize red brick. Custom-made bricks were created so that the two buildings would be in harmony with one another, although the architecture of the library is much more modern and actually resembles a ship (thanks to Wilson's naval background). 

And... check out this neat video on Jane Austen's manuscripts at the British Library.

(I was unable to get a really good photo of St. Pancras because the streets were so crowded, so this image is from here.)