Overview of the Library - our collection
We reflect the world’s knowledge and hold iconic treasures from many cultures. Our historic collection embodies the nation’s memory: Magna Carta is considered the foundation of liberty; Caxton's Chaucer the foundation of our literacy and literature.
Holdings
Our collection is vast – around 150 million items – and extends over 600 kilometres. It is without parallel for its breadth and depth. It covers every written language and every information format from bones to bytes.
The collection includes:
- 13 million books
- 7 million manuscripts
- 4.5 million maps
- 56 million patents
- 3.5 million sound recordings
- 8 million stamps
- 58 million newspaper issues, serial parts, microfilms and other formats
Our active stewardship of works from other traditions fosters international cultural diplomacy and promotes comparative studies and interdisciplinary research.
Intake
Through Legal Deposit we receive 600,000 new items a year – an entitlement that dates back to 1662.
In 2003 Parliament passed framework legislation to extend legal deposit to electronic materials, including websites.
We spend some £16 million on new acquisitions each year. The majority of this is spent on current overseas publications, including printed and e-materials from science and technology sources.
