Over four million objects including books and periodicals available for research free of charge

The library at RIBA has been opened to the public. As of yesterday, the British Architectural Library, located on site, will be open to the public completely free of charge.

Irena Murray, library director, said: 鈥淭hrough increasing accessibility to the British Architectural Library we aim to enable more and more people to research and enjoy the collections within it, both online and in person.鈥�

The largest and most comprehensive resource in Europe for research and information on all aspects of architecture, the library was established in 1834 at the founding of the RIBA. Since then it has been almost wholly funded by RIBA members.

The library houses around four million objects: books, periodicals, manuscripts, archives, drawings, photographs, models, paintings, medals and artefacts.

Books, periodicals and photographs are located at the RIBA headquarters; whilst drawings and archives are kept at the V&A under the V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership.

The library is part of the RIBA Trust and in 2005 it was recognised as having outstanding national and international importance under the Designation Scheme by The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).