The Library’s special collections include rare books and journals, artworks, photographs, maps, sheet music, oral history recordings, manuscript papers, ephemera and more. 

September is a month for reflection and learning at the Library.

Learn about the types of maps we hold and how to access them, including maps for countries, oceans and the planets.

Gazetteers are listings of places and can provide useful details, such as territorial division, location, alternate names, population size, and more.

Ordnance Survey maps can give you detailed geographic information for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland from the early 1800s onwards.

Atlases and county maps can help you find more detailed information about counties, shires and provinces.

City maps provide road and rail information, and show buildings, farms, industries, schools, churches, and many other features.

Learn how to access historical gazetteers, Ordnance Survey maps, and early atlases to get detailed insights into your family's origins in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

Discover land and property history with our extensive map collection and enrich your family history research with unique geographical records.

Use sales plans to find information about land sales, such as prices, boundaries, roads and land use.