![[A Selection of Books]](http://www.beamishcollections.com/AdvHTML_Upload/bookpile.jpg)
Beamish’s Printed Book Collection consists of some 64,000 published books of the late 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries. These books represent subjects such as agriculture and rural life, social history, coal and lead-mining, engineering, shops and retail trades as well as domestic life, interior design and local history. The collections do not duplicate local libraries but rather complement them. Many of the volumes are now out of print and may be difficult to locate elsewhere in the region. The Printed Book Collection is invaluable for providing information on the collections and their use. The reference library also includes recently published books.
![[Reference Library] Member of staff accessing Book Collection](http://www.beamishcollections.com/AdvHTML_Upload/bookrack_1.jpg)
The reference library is available for research purposes by appointment only. To access the library full details of the topic of research must be indicated to members of the curatorial staff prior to your visit. This will give them time to source the requested material to be made available. These collections are for reference purposes only and books are only loaned to museum staff.
