The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest libraries. Their collections include more than 150 million items, in over 400 languages, to which three million new items are added every year. They house books, magazines, manuscripts, maps, music scores, newspapers, patents, databases, philatelic items, prints and drawings and sound recordings.

Much of the information within their Collections is reasonably accessible to users and it is Library policy that staff will allocate up to 30 minutes research time to information enquiries relating to their Collections. This may be followed, if necessary, by referral either to an internally priced research service, or to an external research agency.

The purpose of such research is to discover whether or not the Library holds the information being sought and to provide the information whenever possible. The Library will continue to provide advice and assistance to users undertaking their own research on the collections they hold.

The Library offers a long list of things to do on your visit with multiple exhibitions showing daily. They are currently celebrating 150 years publication of the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland.

Although the story has been adapted, appropriated, re-imagined and re-illustrated since its conception, people are still enchanted by Carroll’s original, much loved story, which continues to inspire new generations of writers and illustrators.

Go and see Lewis Carroll’s original manuscript with hand-drawn illustrations, alongside stunning editions by Mervyn Peake, Ralph Steadman, Leonard Weisgard, Arthur Rackham, Salvador Dali and others.