The National Library of Scotland has received a £18 million lottery grant to buy the John Murray Archive

Lottery grant helps Scottish library buy important collection

Bidding for the precious John Murray Archive, The National Library of Scotland has received a £17.7 million (about $33 million) lottery grant enabling library chiefs to buy the collection. The Scottish experts say the purchase is of a great importance as it features a horde of letters and works from figures such as William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Charles Darwin and Peter Pan creator JM Barrie.

According to Scotsman.com, the Scotch people will view a significant part of the collection at the library, named the literature’s "jewel in the crown", within months. Directors are planning to show the archive on the internet as well as in exhibitions at the George IV Bridge site. However, library still needs to find £6.5 million  (about $12 million) to buy the all papers, which are on sale for £33 million (about $62 million).

Cate Newton, the director of collection development at the library, said: "This is the most important item to come on to the market in 100 years. It represents a fantastic overview. This will merge very well with the existing collection we have, and we are very much looking forward to making it available to the people of Scotland and to others. What is exciting is that we will be able to make this collection open to a really wide range of people. We do have work to do, we have to arrange the purchase and then catalogue the collection, and all that will take time. The acquisition of the John Murray Archive will enhance Scotland’s cultural and educational reputation, both at home and abroad."

John Murray was a founder a very influential British publishing house established in 1768. The John Murray Archive contains more than 150,000 letters and manuscripts by Byron, Scott, Darwin and countless other figures of global significance.