Mitchell Library, Glasgow

One of the great places to visit in Glasgow is the Mitchell Library.

The library was established with a bequest from Stephen Mitchell, a wealthy tobacco manufacturer. It contains a large public reference library, with 1,213,000 volumes. While composed mainly of reference material it also has a substantial lending facility which began in 2005.

The original North Street building with its distinctive copper dome surmounted a bronze statue by Thomas Clapperton, entitled Literature, often referred to as Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, opened in 1911. The architectural competition for the library's design took place in 1906 and was won by William B. Whitie.