THE BRITISH LIBRARY

Where else would J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series share shelf space with the first edition of The Canterbury Tales? The British Library houses the UK's national collection of books and music, as does the Library of Congress in the US. Its collection of more than 150 million items includes a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland, as well as many rare and historic works. The British Library was created by Act of Parliament in 1972, which combined several national archives under a single administration. The library is funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and through donations and gifts.