WORK has started on the multi-million pound renovation of Liverpool’s Central Library.
The Daily Post was given exclusive access inside the magnificent Georgian building which has lain empty for several months while its priceless archives were carefully removed.
The most valuable book in the collection is a complete volume of James Audubon’s Birds of America, rare first editions of which sell for upwards of £4m. One of the only other complete volumes in Britain belongs to the Queen.
The library is also home to the original Liverpool charter from 1207.
Alan Metcalf, interim head of the library service, said the refurbishment was an opportunity to ensure there would be first-class storage facilities for the collection’s treasures.
He added: “The archives are not in appropriate storage at the moment, so a big part of the scheme is to build a new repository.
“This will give extra space so we can add to our collection, which the National Archive have been on to us to do for the last 25 years.”
