The British Library

One of my favourite excursions that we have been on was that to the British Library. Located right down the road from Kings Cross, it’s easy to get to from anywhere in London, and beyond. We had a planned visit to the treasure room, and treasures it holds. I saw one of the remaining original Magna Carta’s, as well as a first edition King James version of the Bible, and notes from Handel, Bach, Mozart, and Da Vinci. My favourite thing to see was probably the first folio of Shakespeare's works. I am a huge book nerd and the little girl inside of me felt that she had died and gone to Heaven. I have dreamed of meeting such historical figures, and to be so close to their original works was a real privilege. 

The room in which these treasures are held is nothing extraordinary. It’s not over large and is dark, so to preserve the writings. We learned that different books will rotate in and out of the exhibition hall of the treasures room. What we saw was a small sampling of what the British Library has to offer. It amazes me that through its own history the United Kingdom has a wealth of knowledge that it has been able to preserve. Some of the manuscripts that the British Library has been able to preserve came from the British Museum. I learned that before the 1970’s the library was part of the museum. The library adds around 3 million acquisitions each year through charitable donations and other forms of purchase and negotiation. 

Something I have come to understand is that the United Kingdom believes in being Great, it’s even in one of the names of their country “Great” Britain. Showing, as a nation, that you are able to hold some of the worlds best works of literate and art in one place, and have it open to the public, reflects that sense of greatness.