a Library with staggering holdings that really welcomes all these days- and it's free (British Library)

Member Name: siantone

Product:	British Library
Date:	31/05/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: awesome collections from early printed bibles to John Lennon's ditties

Disadvantages: don't be put off by the aloof scholars wandering in and out

The British Library has had quite a transformation in recent years regarding how it engages with the public. This library is of course THE national library and has always been much loved and used by those in research communities but increasingly the Library has focused on reaching members of the public who do not need to consult original and/or rare books and manuscripts for their research. That means people like me and you, meaning the Library is a quality half day out or at least a place to spend a meaningful hour or two if you find yourself on Euston Road.

The permanent galleries which show the highlights of the collection indiciate the sheer scale and importance of the Library's holdings. These are free galleries and providing you can cope with 50 Lux light levels (ie very low, in order to preserve the paper) these quiet contemplative spaces display a staggering array of material from western and non-western cultures. Everything from an original version of the Magna Carta to rare medieval Japanese scrolls and hand-written Beatle's lyrics.

The key thing is you are not left to merely look at the object, the Library works really hard to explain why these things are so important in a non-patronising way. The BL never used to embrace warmly those of us who are not experts but this really is the place to understand what, for example, the Magna Carta was about and why issues about rights and obligations in society are still debated today. If you go into the building as someone who just wants to browse, it really is a comfortable place to spend some time without feeling you are being watched. The unusual striking architecture that opens up into an atrium type space is worth a visit alone.

If you like browsing the web you can look at some 30,000 amazing items in their online galleries- access this interpreted material through the homepage www.bl.ac.uk.

All in all, the BL is now a place that anyone can visit without having to be a scholar. A sophisticated oasis in the depressing cacophony that is Euston Road.

Summary: a really unusual place to visit but very welcoming when you get inside