British Library has launched a new app for the iPad which lets readers flick their way through thousands of historic publications from their vast archives.
The app provides access to scanned copies of original editions from the British Library’s bountiful 19th century book collection and includes classic novels, works of philosophy, history and science.
Users will be able to flick their way around scanned reproductions showing off marbled papers, embossed covers, engraved illustrations, maps and coloured plates, with a “treasure trove” of more than 60,000 books eventually being made available .
“These books provide a wealth of historical, scientific and cultural content for the researcher and more general enthusiast alike, and this project helps bring them to life,” insisted Caroline Brazier, the British Library’s director of scholarship and collections.
The paid-for app is set to fully launch this summer, but for now a thousand titles can be browsed for free. Support for other formats, including Android, is currently being “looked into.”
