Acquisition appeal
Help us secure new rare printed books and materials
As the featured Library for this year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, we've been given the exclusive opportunity to acquire a number of exceptionally rare printed books and materials that shine a light on Britain’s rich cultural and literary heritage. We'll need to raise c. £85,000 ($108,650) by 7 April 2024 to secure them. The race is on!
With your support, we can:
Giving from the US?
If you're a US tax payer, you can make a tax-deductible gift to the American Trust for the British Library (ATBL), a registered 501(c)(3) organisation, who have set up a dedicated campaign page to help you support this vital work.
- become the only UK institution to hold a copy of Graham Greene's After Two Years, one of only six surviving copies of his poems celebrating the love affair that inspired one of his bestselling novels
- acquire an extraordinary example of a bookbinding by Scottish artist Jessie M. King, whose craftsmanship we don’t currently hold an example of at the Library
- expand our collection of historic children’s books with The Good Boy’s Soliloquy, a wonderfully witty early 19th-century book that gives a fascinating insight into social history.
As the UK's national library, our mission is to share our inspiring collection of over 170 million items with people of all ages, from all communities. As a charity, donations are vital in helping us do this.
By giving today, you'll be helping us secure these extraordinary items for students, researchers and book lovers across the world.
We're so pleased to be the featured library for ABAA Connect at this year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates. Thank you so much to our partners, the American Trust for the British Library and the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, for making this exciting campaign possible.
Explore the items
Below are just some of the highlights you'll be helping us secure. If you would like to direct your gift to a particular item or want to learn more about the full list of items we hope to acquire through this appeal, please get in touch with Rachael Garnett at rachael.garnett@bl.uk.
If we do exceed our target before you donate, your gift will still play a vital role in supporting our future acquisitions.