My Visit to the British Library

In the 21st century, books still shape our vision of politics and history

The number of people queuing outside the main entrance to the British Library. Photo by the author

As I live just a 10 minute walk from the British Library, I rarely miss the pleasure of catching a glimpse of it as I walk by. Whether I’m visiting an exhibition at the nearby Crick Institute or just strolling around the King’s Cross — St. Pancras area, it’s always a pleasure to visit the library and enjoy its creative atmosphere.

The British Library is a research library in London and the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to hold over 170 million items from many countries in over 400 languages, with three million new items added each year.

The British Library. Photo by the author

The library’s modern, futuristic, purpose-built building is located next to St. Pancras Station on Euston Road in London, on the site of a former goods yard. There is an additional storage building and reading room at the branch library near Boston Spa in Yorkshire. St. Pancras was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on June 25, 1998, and is a Grade I listed building of “exceptional interest” for its architecture and history.