Looking for a novel Mother's Day gift?
Adopt a Book and save it for the nation
With 18 March fast approaching are you looking for a unique Mother's Day present that is both original and inspiring? The British Library's Adopt a Book scheme is the ideal way to help protect the world's greatest book collection and give your mother a very different gift that will last a lifetime.
The Library can choose a book for you, or you can select from a range of titles on our recently revamped website www.bl.uk/adoptabook.
Romantics and those with an interest in history will love Emily Bronte's classic novel Wuthering Heights (1858) or Boris Pasternak's Dr Zhivago (1961). Keen chefs might appreciate Mrs Beeton's All About Cookery (1871), which features tips on how to carve a beef joint and what to serve at a summer ball for eighty guests. Teach mum to flambé like Nigella Lawson by adopting The Use of Wine in Fine Cooking (1950). Elizabeth David's book explores different cooking techniques involving wine and contains a selection of recipes including coq au vin and crab soup. Inspire the domestic goddess in your life with The British Baker's Selected Recipes (c1900), or a beautifully bound copy of The Lady's Bazaar and Fancy Fair Book (1875). Alternatively, green-fingered mothers will enjoy the beautiful Colour in the Flower Garden (1908) by Gertrude Jekyll, a book which offers advice on what to plant each month in order to achieve colour all year round in the garden.
The British Library has over 150 million books, manuscripts, newspapers and other items in its collections. Every day, over 67,000 people consult us to test theories, challenge ideas and develop their own knowledge. Conservation is required to preserve both treasures from the past and modern items, many of which are deteriorating from age and continual use. By adopting a book you can help to protect these items for decades to come.
There are a number of adoption packages:
- For a minimum donation of £25 the person will receive a personalised certificate that records the name and title of the book they have adopted.
- For £75 they will also receive a voucher for a public tour of the British Library for two people.
- For £150 they will also get a permanent personalised bookplate inserted into your chosen book, recording the gift for as long as the book exists.
- For £250 they will be invited to a special 'behind the scenes' tour of our Conservation Studios at which they can meet their book and the conservators who worked on it.
- For £500, their name will be inscribed on the British Library's List of Conservation.
The British Library is a world leader in the field of book conservation. Work is carried out by trained experts - specialists in the traditional skills of conservation and book binding. They take care to select materials that will compliment the age and style of the book and all repairs are fully documented and reversible.
There are over a dozen categories of books in need of conservation, including Art and Architecture, Business, Finance and Law, Children's Books, Food and Drink, Gardening, Literature, Music, Sports and Pastimes and Natural History.
For further information and images, contact Chloe Tait at the British Library Press office: +44 (0)20 7412 7113 or Chloe.Tait@bl.uk.
Notes for Editors
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the British Library's website at www.bl.uk.