A history of the British Museum Library, 1753-1973

This volume spans the period from the Library’s foundation as part of the British Museum, dedicated to ‘all studious and curious persons’, to the separation of the two institutions in 1973. Each of the eleven chronological chapters is subdivided into: reading rooms, trustees and staff, catalogues and publications, collections, accommodation, staff and where appropriate, royal commissions. Six appendices list senior staff, staff structures, some holders of readers’ tickets, 1759-1939, glossary, approximate value of the pound, 1750-195 and a note on statistics. There are 10 plans and 111 illustrations (one redacted here for copyright reasons), a bibliography (8 pp.) and source notes (61 pp.).