British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's largest, holding an estimated collection of over 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, it receives copies of every book published in the UK and Ireland, along with a significant number of overseas titles. It operates as a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Visitors can marvel at the Grade I listed building designed by Sir Colin St John Wilson, which stands next to St Pancras station and was officially opened in 1998. Inside, the library houses about 14 million books, plus manuscripts, journals, newspapers, maps, stamps, prints, and sound recordings – some items date back as far as 2000 BC. The library adds around three million new items each year, occupying 9.6 kilometres of new shelf space. Off-site storage is provided near Boston Spa in Yorkshire.