British Library
With a collection totaling more than 170 million items, plus 3 million new additions every year, the British Library is a world-class repository of knowledge. Its greatest treasures are on view to the general public in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: the Magna Carta, the Codex Sinaiticus (an ancient Bible containing the oldest complete copy of the New Testament), Jane Austen's writings, and Shakespeare's First Folio, as well as musical manuscripts by Handel and Beethoven, and original handwritten lyrics by the Beatles. There's also a lively and eclectic program of special exhibitions and talks (previous speakers have included legendary playwright Tom Stoppard, Monty Python's Michael Palin, and trailblazing Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie).
