British Library

The British Library, London's national library, is the world's leading research library. Construction began in 1982, and 15 years later the British Library split from the British Museum. Due to bad press and even worse funding, the library had a rough start. Even Prince Charles was a critic of the institution. Despite all the hardships, today the library is thriving with activity and patrons.

A large part of the library is its unique architecture. Colin St. John Wilson, the man responsible for the uniqueness of the library, worked on a ship, thus lending to the library’s feel of being on a giant ship. Each construction material was chosen for its unique properties and looks. The white stone outside the library and the pillars inside contain fossilized remains. Sadly, using such stone had its price. The project went over its budget and construction came to a halt, a whole two thirds short of the final image.

A very special part of the British Library is the King’s Library. The large collection of over 50,000 books was brought together by George III and now sits within the heart of the library. The King’s Library is in the shape of a large tower, seemingly going down forever because of the reflective marble.

To me, the British Library is a stunning example of a modern-day library. It has the technology, size, and most of all reach. The sheer size amount of stuff they have is amazing, but what’s even more amazing is how culturally diverse it is. People come from all over the world to research using their collection for all kinds of reasons.

To keep things fresh and draw in more patrons, they have multiple exhibitions throughout the year. The current ones are Shakespeare In Ten Acts and Punk 1976-1978.

http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/searc