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The British Library
DesignThe British Library, aka the national library of the United Kingdom is located in St Pancras and it is the largest museum in terms of items held. Among the 150 million items held by the library, they are from different countries and written in many different languages dating back as far as 2000 BC. They have material in many formats including digital and print: books, newspapers, patents, maps, stamps, drawings, manuscripts, journals, videos, drawings, and music recordings among many other items.HistoryUntil 1973 when they separated, the British Library was part of the British Museum. It finally moved into its own building where it is now in St Pancras, London. The library’s building was the largest building constructed in the United Kingdom during the 20th century. It is created from 180,000 tons of concrete and 10 million bricks. The place is 112,000 square meters and spread over 14 floors; they have nine floors above ground and five floors under. Included in their holdings are Chinese oracle bones that are over 3,000 years old, 310,000 manuscript volumes, over 260,000 journals, 4 million maps, and 60 million patents. They have manuscripts from Jane Austin to the Beatles. The library has other treasures such as recordings from Nelson Mandela’s Rivonia trial speech, Leonardo da Vinchi’s notebook, one of four copies of the Magna Carta, and the first edition of The Times from March 18, 1788.The British Library todayToday there are over three million items added each year. According to the library’s website the place is so extensive that if you go look at five books each day it would take you over 80,000 years to see everything. They offer on-site reading spaces for up to 1,200 people, but nearly 16,000 use the collection daily; both online and on-site. This library features one of the best collections in the World and is a must visit attraction for people of all ages. Everyone should be prepared to spend at least a full day looking at everything the library has to offer.ExhibitsThey have many exhibits to offer visitors. Some exhibits change from time to time while others are permanent. This is free to visit, seven days a week and visitors can see original copies of Beowulf, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, history of the English language, and Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. Possibly one of the most remarkable exhibits is of the Diamond Sutra which is the world’s oldest printed book, having been printed during the Tang Dynasty in 868. | 
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