The British Library

The British Library, which operates from two principal sites, the new building at St Pancras and the Document Supply Centre at Boston Spa in North Yorkshire, is the national library of the United Kingdom. After a description of the building, outside as well as inside, the author passes to the collections - books, journals, periodicals, geographical maps, manuscripts, certificates, stamps and other philatelic articles, video and sound recordings - then on to the functions and various activities of the library. The end of the article is given over to consideration of problems that have arisen since the new building opened, most notably the question of whether or not to charge for access to the reading rooms.
Read