A History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland describes the development of libraries in Great Britain and Ireland over some 1500 years, and their role as a part of the social, intellectual and cultural history. In addition to obvious links with the history of books and literature, the volumes include consideration of education, technology, social philosophy, architecture and the arts, as they have affected libraries. The significant international dimension, which has affected British and Irish libraries from the Middle Ages to the present, receives due attention. Other themes considered in each volume include the housing, storage and maintenance of books and other material; the individuals responsible for their care and those who used them; developments in provision, organization and cataloguing; and the principles and attitudes - of librarians and users - which such developments reflect.

The British Library holds one of the world's greatest collections of books and manuscripts, spanning almost three millennia and from all parts of the world. They include such famous documents as The Lindisfarne Gospels, the Diamond Sutra, Gutenberg's 42-line Bible, the Magna Carta and Shakespeare's First Folio. Among the thousands of manuscripts are copies of some of the best-known works of English literature and world-renowned collections of maps, music, stamps, photographs, patents, newspapers and sound recordings. Scala has commissioned newspaper columnist and author, Philip Howard, to write the text for this important book. With his usual witty and refreshing approach, Philip avoids the traditional collection-by-collection analysis, but sets out to give a retrospective trawl through the areas of universal knowledge within the library, highlighting its treasures to illustrate his themes. The range and scope of the library's treasures are unparalleled, and this superb new book in Scala's series on the great libraries of the world gives a flavour of the richness of the library's collection in an innovative and entertaining way. 150 colour illustrations