The Library says the app will be updated later this summer to offer more than 60,000 titles which form part of its 19th Century Historical Collection.
The books span a number of languages and subject areas including classics such as “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “The Adventures of Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens.
The apps has been developed by software company BiblioLabs.
The firm’s Mitchell Davis said the iPad “allows for a level of intimacy with these antiquarian books that evokes a sense of engagement and curiosity that is not possible in a browser based experience.”
“We are delighted that the Library’s partnership with BiblioLabs is going to make this remarkable collection of 19th Century books available to iPad users, making them visible and accessible to a much wider audience than could ever be possible through our reading rooms,” said Caroline Brazier, the British Library’s Director of Scholarship and Collections.
“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.”
The free app can be downloaded from the App Store.
