Look at Rare Books Without Leaving Your Desk!

If you've ever wanted to view the rare book collection at the British Library, but don't have the money for airfare, you'll want to take a look at this site! The British Library has an online gallery, and one of the features is called 'Turning the Pages'. Using this program, you can take a close up look at selected rare books, using your mouse to turn the pages. There is a 'magnify' option to view illustrations up close, and there are notes that provide further information on the spread you are viewing. Audio readings are provided for some titles. The book selections include the first atlas of Europe, Mozart's Musical Diary, William Blake's notebook (I thought my handwriting was messy!), Alice's Adventures Underground with handwritten text and illustrations by Lewis Carroll, and much more!